Hot, Sweet, Heat
by Zacbele
Summary: Another Heat story your thinking. Well yes it is....I mean heat...it's just so tantalizing couldn't resist. Here's my version. If you like the idea of a sweet, emotional, hormonal Max then this is the story for you. MA Story complete
1. Default Chapter

Authors Note: This is my first time so, please be gentle with me. I know my punctuation is remedial. I am trying to improve.  Thankyou to Teegs for beta'ring**.**

**Hot Sweet Heat**

**Chapter One**

Alec eyes raked over the room again. Swinging back to zero in on Max, standing in the corner talking to Cal one of the more recent X5 arrivals at TC.

What's his deal? Why the fuck is he standing so close, practically on top of her? Geez. He thought, as he angrily strode over to them_. None of your business get back to what you were doing._

"Hey Max," he greeted, glancing down at her before inserting his body between her and Cal.

"What's up?" he ground out belligerently his face close, his eyes hard on Cal's.

Max frowned up at him. "We're talking here, what's your problem?" she asked, as she tried to elbow him aside, only to find that he had moved with her and was still between her and Cal who was now glowering menacingly at him. 

"What the hell up with you, Alec? Get out of the way," she said angrily, hitting his shoulder from behind. 

Yeah what the fuck is up with me_? _Alec thought, rolling his shoulder distractedly, his eyes still on Cal."Ah nothing," he mumbled. 

Not a bad guy_. _He thought, eyeing the other X5 warily. So why do I suddenly want to hurt him_?_

He could feel her still trying to move out from behind him, sensing someone else approaching from the other side he instinctively moved to block her. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her behind him, as he quickly assessed this new threat. Logan he could smell Logan, no threat there, he can't touch her_. _He dismissed Logan quickly his eyes never leaving Cal's.

"What the hell is going on here," Logan blustered. "Are you okay Max?"

"I'm fine," she said smiling reassuringly, her attention quickly moving back to Alec and his unwelcome grip on her wrist.

"You'd better let me go, Alec, or I'm going to seriously hurt you," she hissed, yanking on her wrist whilst hitting him in the shoulder with her free hand. But he had her backed against the wall and she didn't have any room to manoeuvre, effectively she was trapped behind him. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing Alec? Let her go. Who the hell do you think you are to manhandle her like this?" Logan demanded angrily.

"Let me go **now**!" Max seethed furiously, only to find herself suddenly free, Alec, reading Cal's intention to strike in his eyes, released her and quickly moved to block his attack.

What the hell is happening_? _He wondered, adrenaline pounding through his body as his foot connected with the other X5's groin. I've got no problem with this guy. So why am I enjoying beating the fuck out of him_. _He wondered as he smashed his knee into Cal's face and watched him fall to the floor.

"Aleec," he heard Max's uncertain voice behind him. Immediately his confused eyes swung to her, as she backed towards him, away from the twelve X5 males all eyeing each other aggressively as they advanced on her.

Realization hit him. 

Fuck she's in heat_._

"What the hell do you people think your doing? Leave her alone!" Logan blustered.

Alec grabbed Max's hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Stay back Logan," Max yelled belatedly, as the elbow of the X5 whose arm he had grabbed connected with his face and he sunk unconscious to the floor.

"Alec, here!" Joshua yelled, as he threw him a gun. Propelling Max out the door with one hand, half-turning, he caught the gun with the other. Pumping the action, he brought it to his shoulder as he backed out the door, the other X's in hot pursuit.

He could smell her now the scent of her phemerones distinct, cloying, fucking intoxicating he thought eyes for a moment, heavy on her. Jerking himself back to reality, he grabbed her by her shirt and pulled her back towards him. "Max we've got to get out of here."

"I'm not going anywhere, get your fucking hands off me!" she yelled, shrugging her shoulder out of his grip.

"Did you see what that asshole did to Logan?"

"Max," he bit out harshly. "Forget Logan. Look around you." His eyes never leaving the jostling and aggressive X males ranged threateningly in front of them, he waited for her to understand her situation.

Max looked around her the male X's were now fighting amongst themselves. All Alec's fault no doubt. Probably all pissed at him because he provoked Cal into hitting him and then beat the shit out of him. 

"I don't know what sort of a fucking problem you started here, Alec, but I'm gonna go and check on Logan," she said disgustedly, rolling her eyes as she turned and attempted to move through the melee.

Immediately she was grabbed from behind and pulled up against a hard body. Automatically she elbowed him hard in the gut and swung away only to be grabbed by both her arms this time. She fought to get free.

Furious, using the gun like a club, Alec beat his way through to her. Hell, she was stubborn, reckless even but she wasn't stupid. What the hell did she think she was doing? he wondered disbelievingly.  Didn't she realize the danger here? Grabbing her shirt at the shoulder he pulled her roughly toward him. 

"Do you understand what is happening here?" he ground out slowly, shaking her shoulder for emphasis his face inches from hers.

She stared back at him blankly, her eyes darting uncertainly to the other X5's.

She doesn't understand_._ He thought incredulously. How is that possible_?_ Hand fisted in her shirt he jerked her closer.

"Your in heat Max unless we get you out of here you're gonna be the party. Do you understand?" he asked slowly and urgently.

"Yyes," she stammered.

"Good." Using his grip on her shirt to pull her along with him towards her bike. His body and the gun between her and the X males, stalking, warily along beside them.

"Guys, I know how it is…but is it worth getting shot for. Hey, You all know me, I don't want to hurt anybody here. I just wanna take her and go…nobody needs to get hurt, just stay the fuck back!" Menacingly, he sighted the gun on a large dark haired X5 who'd ventured to close.

"Why do you get to take her? She doesn't seem all that willing to go with you," Gigantor shot back, the threat of the gun momentarily halting his advance, but his eyes going pointedly to Alec's hand where it tightly gripped Max's shirt.

"Oh she's willing. Aren't you Maxie?" he asked grinning cockily at her. "She just can't wait to get me alone." reaching the bike he shoved her unceremoniously at it. 

"Can't wait," she echoed sweetly, elbowing him hard in the stomach as he settled down behind her, gun still trained on her would be suitors.

"You," he said gesturing towards Gigantor. "You heard the lady now open the gate." The large X5 stood his ground staring stoically back at Alec.

"No…well okay then how about you," he asked, gesturing with the gun towards Cal, who also didn't move. Max reeved the bike impatiently. Alec levelled the gun and shot Gigantor's leg out from under him, his eyes never leaving Cal's. 

He kept the gun trained on the other X5's as Cal walked to open the gate.

TBC

_Please Review_


	2. Chapter 3

Thanks To Teegs for Betaring.

**Chapter Three**

His first drowsy thought as he drifted to consciousness was Max. Not unusual in itself, what was unusual was that it wasn't just the tail end of his dream. She was actually here naked in his bed; her cheek on his chest, her arm around him and her leg slung across his thigh. 

He'd been drifting in and out of sleep for the last couple of hours. The scent of her phemerones was slight now, his body was also calmer, he wasn't dumping hormones any more and his erection had finally eased. 

Her heat's overhe thought regretfully, but she was still here in his arms and whatever happened when she woke up, wasn't going to stop him from enjoying this while he could. 

Not just her heathe thought, rubbing his cheek on the top of her head. He had been as caught up in it as she had. Just as powerless to resist. He ran the memory of her through his mind, closing his eyes, smiling in satisfaction, as he remembered her moaning his name, as she thrashed beneath him.

It had been so good between them. Too good to give up he thought, as careful not to wake her, he pulled her closer.

Soon he'd have to face the consequences, but that could wait, for the moment asleep here in his arms, she was still his he thought contentedly, nuzzling her hair and gently stroking her arm as he drifted back to sleep.

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Warm, content and deliciously comfortable, her first waking thoughts as she drifted slowly awake. Heat and Alec, I'll never again, be able to think of one without the other. she thought, sighing softly. 

Jumbled images of their lovemaking and thoughts of the pleasure and satisfaction he had given her filled her mind.

She lay there feeling the rhythm of his breathing and listening to his heartbeat, steady beneath her ear. I don't want to move she thought drowsily. Snuggling closer, twining her leg with his, her mind flashed to him over her, moving relentlessly into her, his eyes intent on hers.

"We deserve the rest anyway," she though with a small grin, her eyes widened as a memory surfaced. Did I really scream for him like that?

This heat had been different from the others, much more intense, stronger, emotional even. Heat for her in the past, had always been a time when she had grudgingly sought physical satisfaction, but this time the need for an emotional connection had been as strong as the physical need.

She didn't understand this, it was puzzling why she felt this way. Why now and why Alec? Why had she dissolved into a quivering heap of physical and emotional need when he had touched her?

Maybe, it was just because of the amazing sex. Maybe, it's just because with him I felt like he was making love to me, cared about me, instead of the mindless fucking of previous heats. she thought sighing.

_*I feel good, she realized with astonishment, for the first time, after heat, I feel good*_ Still thinking about how good she felt, when she would usually be feeling bad, she sleepily nestled closer and drifted back to sleep.

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Banging, he could hear banging. He glanced down at Max, still in his arms but also awake.

The door, someone at the door_,_ he realized, reaching across her to get his gun, his eyes searching the room for his jeans. 

"Max, Max are you in there?" 

Logan he realized, his eyes going straight to Max's. Fuck, fuck it's too soonfor her to leave he thought helplessly, looking into her wide startled eyes.

No, not Logan, not here, Not now, I'm not ready for this_._ She thought, scrambling away from Alec in search of her clothes.

"What are you looking at Alec?" she asked furiously, as he leaned on the bedroom door handle watching her dress. "Put the rest of your clothes on," she hissed, eyeing his low-slung partially unfastened jeans in temper. "You can't go out there like that." 

"Why not I'm perfectly decent," he looked down at himself. "Its only Logan." 

"Get dressed now. If he sees you like that he'll know what we've been doing," she hissed, swaying on one foot, as she tried to shove her boot on the other one.

Alec stilled. "He'll know anyway, Max, the whole of Terminal City knows by now." 

Her stricken look cut straight to his heart.

"What am I gonna say to him?" 

Alec glanced up from the bed, where he was putting on his boots. "Tell him the truth, Max, it was your heat, you have nothing to be ashamed of and I'm none of his business."

He waited until she left to let Logan in. Fuck what a mess, he thought, leaning forward his head in his hands.

The pounding on the door got louder as she went into Alec's living room. He'll break the door down at this rate._ S_he though exasperatedly.

"Stop banging Logan and give me a chance to get the locks off," she called through the door.

She barely had a chance to open the door before he was pushing his way inside. 

"Where have you been, Max? You've been gone for two days, what the hell is going on here?" he demanded.

She could see he was angry, she supposed he had a right to be. Hell she'd just spent two days locked away, making love with another man. 

She was tired, hungry and her muscles ached, she just wanted to go back to bed. She couldn't deal with Logan now, didn't know what to say to him, didn't want him here, she needed time to think. And there was Alec, he and Logan were friends, this hadn't been his fault, he had only been trying to help her, she had messed that up. 

She had to talk to Alec that seemed more important at the moment, she thought fuzzily. What they had done had changed things between them already she knew this by how confused she was feeling. 

She was always tired and depressed after heat. This heat had been different, she was still tired but she wasn't depressed, she felt good in fact. 

Satisfied, she realized. This is the first time sex has left me satisfied. I don't want to leave here yet it's too soon_, _she thought, her eyes drawn to the bedroom and Alec. 

"This is Alec's place. So where the hell is he then?" Logan blustered noticing Max's attention had wandered from him.

"Here I am Logan, what do you want?" Alec asked abruptly, impatiently as he moved to stand beside Max. Max inexplicably relieved to see him, looked at him in surprise she'd never heard him talk in that tone to Logan before, he'd always treated him with tolerance at the worst good-natured mockery. Now he sounded annoyed, angry. Why would he be angry with Logan? 

Logan hasn't done anything, but Alec and I we…no Alec hasn't done anything either_,_ she corrected herself. I've created this mess my naiveté and stupidity caused this, Alec was just trying to protect me. Now I've dragged him into my messed up life and he's got Logan who doesn't understand who couldn't possibly understand, in his apartment expecting him to explain himself. He's got a right to be angry she sighed tiredly.

Alec heard her sigh, saw how tired and dispirited she looked and didn't like it. She probably should still be asleep, he thought, glancing angrily at Logan. Heat must take an incredible toll on her body. 

Logan was Max's friend, for this reason, he had tried to get along with him. But he didn't want him here now, pressuring and upsetting her. In fact at the moment I don't even like him standing next to her, he thought aggressively. My testosterone and adrenaline levels must still be high.__

"I want to know what's been going on here, Alec, and I don't want to hear any of your stupid jokes," Logan sneered.

"What I do in my own apartment is my business," Alec said, clenching his jaw in irritation. 

"If you want to know Max's business you can ask her but not here and not now. What is between her and me is our business, you'd do well to remember that," he said his voice hard.

Logan gazed at Alec in shock. "Its time for you to leave now Logan. When Max wants to talk to you she knows where to find you." And you better not be standing over her like this again either he thought angrily.__

"I'm not leaving her here with you, Alec, you must be mad, if you think I am." 

"Max is not a dog, to be left anywhere. She'll leave here when she's ready," Alec said, backing Logan towards the door as he'd talked. 

Max watched dazedly, as he ushered Logan out and closed and bolted the door.

What the fuck just happened? Did Alec just throw me out? Logan wondered incredulously standing on the other side of the door his rage building. I'm not fucking well leaving her, he thought whirling around to bang on the door.

Wait think about this_._ he told himself, his hand going to his still bruised and sore face.

You've already been in one fight over Max this week. Another one is probably not the smartest way to handle this. Max loves you she can barely stand Alec, there's nothing to worry about.

Then why the hell is she still in there with him?

TBC

Please Review


	3. Chapter 2

Thankyou To Teegs for beta'ring**.**

**Chapter Two**

With a jerk Alec disengaged the mechanism and threw the gun over the bridge into the sea. Too big to try and get through the checkpoints, better to ditch it. But that left him without a weapon with Max in heat. He had to find somewhere safe for her and he had to do it fast. He had no prior experience of heat to draw on, only what he had leaned in Sex Ed at Manticore. The reality of it was like nothing he had imagined. Her scent was so intoxicating, he never had he felt desire like this before. 

His heart was pounding, his body his senses all his instincts, felt like they were in overdrive with the sole focus Max and him naked somewhere skin on skin. Groaning inwardly he moved discreetly to adjust himself. He was so hard even sitting still was uncomfortable. He was seated as far back on the bike from her as he could be without falling off. No part of his body was touching hers. If he could just keep from touching her, he knew he'd be okay, would be able to control himself. 

His body was disciplined he'd been training it all his life. He decided it obeyed. Her heat wouldn't change that. Max was his friend he cared about her, hell he more than cared about her. He knew he could never be a threat to her and would never do anything to harm her. All he had to do was get her somewhere safe so she could ride this out. The bike throbbed to a standstill and Alec looking about him realized that max had brought him home. He jumped off quickly without touching her. _Okay now what_

Max watched him fidgeting in front of her, rolling his shoulders clenching and unclenching his fists, eyes darting over their surroundings looking everywhere but at her. 

_He's so sexy. No he's not._

"I'm not in heat, Alec, I'm not due for another week at least." 

"Yes, Yes you are in heat. It just hasn't hit you yet," he said emphatically.

"How do…?"

"We can't stay out here Max," he interrupted. "Its not safe we have to get you inside." Reaching out to grab her, he thought better of it, jerked back his hand and instead made the sign for her to walk.

"I'm not going in there with you Alec."

"Yes you are. It's not safe out here, when your heat hits you won't be able to defend yourself and I can't protect you out here." Again he made the sign for her to move.

"When my heat hits who's gonna protect me from you."

_Or rather whose gonna protect you from me._

"What…?" he said frowning at her in disbelief. "I'd never hurt you, never make you do anything you didn't want too, whether you're in heat or not, you're safe with me," he said, his hurt apparent.

_He really doesn't understand how heat is for me._

"I've never been around another X5 when I've been in heat. You haven't either, have you?" she asked, glancing quickly up at him where he fidgeted. 

"No, but they told us about it at Manticore and I've heard about it from other guys...you know…" he trailed off, his eyes moving restlessly around them as he shuffled from one foot to the other. He could feel her watching him, his eyes swung to hers of their own volition. Brown eyes captured green, Alec swallowed, unable to pull his away from the dark intensity of hers. 

He has such expressive eyes. I thought they were green, but you can actually see them change colour, now they're the colour of a dark choppy sea_._ Finally, managing to tear her eyes away, Max looked down at her hands as they gripped the handlebars of her bike. 

"Come inside, Max, and I'll tell you what Manticore taught us about heat," he promised his voice deep and husky, smiling sweetly at her as he gestured for her to walk. 

Max gazing up at him raptly nodded her head and moved without conscious will into his building with him following behind. Alec threw the bolts on the door and checked that all the windows were locked. _Safe no one can get to her here._

"It's hot in here, why are you closing all the windows?" 

"Safer." He opened the cupboard where he kept his guns, his lower lip caught between his teeth. An absorbed look on his face as he took them out, checked them all thoroughly, before arranging them all on the counter

Max watched him shuffle his guns around in amusement.

_That thing he does with his lip when he's thinking is so cute._

"So what now," she laughed. "We sit here and wait for me to go into heat, while you play with your guns. Gonna be long and boring!" she yawned, as she settled back into the couch.

_Don't look at her, don't talk to her. You'll be fine you're a soldier, disciplined._

Silence. 

"You said you would tell me what Manticore taught you about heat."

More silence.

She looked over at him. He'd finished playing with his guns and was now prowling around his kitchen.

"Alec stop fidgeting and come over here and tell me, I need to know. The others, why did they behave like that? What would have happened if we hadn't got away?" she asked quietly.

Sighing he sat in the chair opposite her. "We would have fought for you."

"And whoever won, would have tried to have sex with me, whether I wanted it or not." 

"No Max. I would have won, no one would have tried to force you."

Looking at him as he stared down at his fidgeting hands, she knew she had been safe because he had been there.

"But if you hadn't been there," she persisted. 

"It's the DNA Max, we can't help it. Most of the guys there wouldn't have tried to force you, they would only have tried to make you want it. Some would go further than that. Transgenic males are no different from ordinary males; some are good, some not so good. The only difference is that ordinaries don't have the DNA compelling them on."

"Is that what it's like for you?" she whispered.

"Yeah. It hasn't even started for you and already it's driving me crazy," his eyes slid past hers.

_Don't look at her you'll be fine_

"How come this never happened to any of the other X5 females?"

"What heat?" he asked in confusion, his eyes on her downcast head.

"No what happened to me," she said in a small voice.

"They know how it affects us, Max, so they are prepared for it when they go into heat," he said gently. "Just like you'll be prepared next time."

_Prepared how you knew before I did. _

"Yes," she whispered dejectedly, her hand swiping at the unwanted tears. "Next time I'll be prepare."

"It's not your fault Max. You didn't know." Sitting down quickly beside her, he put his arm around her shoulders and tried to brush her tears away with his fingers.

Shit, shit what are you doing, don't touch her, you fucking idiot!

Max's eyes flew to his and Alec couldn't move, couldn't look away.

"Alec, you know what you said about your DNA compelling you," she asked, her eyes large vulnerable and luminous from her tears. 

"Yes," he replied, his voice raw, eyes riveted on hers. 

"It's the same for me," she whispered. "When it hits I'm gonna be all over you. I won't be able to control it." 

"What," he blinked at her. 

"I won't be able to resist you."

_Oh god I've died and gone to heaven._

"You're going to have to resist for both of us." 

_No fuck! It's hell, I'm in hell!_

In his preoccupation with his reactions to her, he hadn't considered how her heat would affect her. That it might make her want him had never entered his mind. 

Well why the hell would it_?_ He thought derisively, she'd always made no secret of her feelings for him. 

How could he have been so fucking stupid? What had Manticore taught them about this? Oh yeah he could remember it word for word in fact his photographic memory just ran it through his brain again. 'Heat makes the female amenable to mating and ensures a successful copulation.' Great, just fucking great, good old Manticore master of under fucking statement.

"Um no, that's not how I thought it would be. You don't want me, you've never wanted me. You don't even like me much. I didn't think your heat would change that," he replied his eyes darting to hers. 

"I thought it would be me resisting you. I can do that. I can control my own body. I'd never coerce or force you into anything. But if you're coming onto me that's different. I don't know if I can do that," he said urgently. "Its already strong for me and its gonna be ten times worse once your hormones start dumping and mine start reacting to yours."

She stared back at him unblinking.

"I don't know if I can do it if you're coming onto me." He repeated hoarsely, his eyes intent on hers his fingers still on her cheek. At least she's stopped crying.

Lost in his stormy green eyes, Max's eyes fluttered closed briefly as she felt her body start to heat and a wave of hormones flood through her. She'd never been so aware of her heat before never felt it as powerfully as this. She could feel it moving, pulsing, and flowing through her body. 

Alec knew when it really started to hit her desire, need, heat, lust he watched it all wash into her dark sultry eyes, he watched her pupils grow until they were large, hazy and unfocused. He watched fascinated as her cheeks flushed and the soft glow of perspiration dewed on her forehead.

Max watching him watch her saw his lips part and his throat move as he swallowed, she saw the same heat, need and longing that she was feeling reflected back to her in his eyes and thought it was the most erotic thing she'd ever seen.

She's so beautiful, so alive all her feelings, there for me to see.

When her hand moved up to touch his cheek he stared in surprise. She watched his eyes flutter languidly as he groaned and moved his cheek against her hand. 

He's beautiful so sexy.

Enthralled, lost in her dark soulful eyes, he unconsciously stroked her hair back from her face. She leaned up and kissed him gently, experimentally. Shocked, surprised he didn't respond. She pulled back and looked up at him anxiously through her eyelashes.

Fuck! Stop looking at her.

Tearing his eyes away from her, he shook his head to try and clear it. You have to fight this, she doesn't want you its just hormones she loves Logan.If you do this it will change everything. When it's over she'll hate you. Probably won't want you around her, you'd have to leave, be on your own again, like your were when Manticore first burned. Would that be worse, than not taking this one chance to kiss her, touch her, he asked himself eyes darting back to her. Fuck, fuck.

Her eyes were still fixed intently on his face, but they were now wary and apprehensive. He doesn't want me she though in desperation, her hunger for him was burning through her body, choking her with need. It's never been this bad before_._ She moaned inwardly, as heat poured through her scalding her. Frustrated brown eyes gazed helplessly into green. 

Shit now what have I done? She's scared of me.

"Its all right Max, I'm not going to touch you." He said placatingly, eyes earnest as he moved his hands in a calming motion. "Neither of us wants anything to happen between us, so your gonna go in the bedroom and I'm gonna stay out here."

Brilliant! Now your thinking Alec_._

No, no I don't want to go in there by myself_!_ She wailed inside her head. She could literally feel another wave of heat surge through her veins. He was right about our hormones reacting of each other. I've never felt it this strongly before my body is throbbing, pulsing with in.

"It'll all be okay as long as you're not coming onto me," he said, more for his benefit than hers. "Nothing's gonna happen." He was trying to sound reassuring but instead sounded harsh. 

Why is she just standing there? He wondered impatiently.

" Move!" he said harshly, more harshly than he had intended, as another rush of adrenaline rush surged through his body.

Max, feeling hotter and more desperate with every passing moment, stood rooted to the spot, her head full of thoughts of the pain, misery and desolation of her previous heats as another wave hit her. 

My skin feels like it's going to melt_._ She thought in frustration. Why the hell can't he just fuck me?__

"Oooohh god I hate heat!" She wailed powerlessly. "It's disgusting, revolting." She sobbed tears streaking down her face. "I hate the way it makes me feel, I hate what it makes me do, I hate it," she raged.

"And I hate you Alec," she yelled, as she stormed past him to the door. She was sobbing so hard now she couldn't see to properly operate the locks on his door she kicked it in impotent fury. 

"Open the fucking door! I'm going back to Terminal City."

Revolting, disgusting what…does she really believe that_? _he wondered in disbelief.

"Open this door Alec! I'm not staying here."

"Yes you are Max, you know what will happen if you go back to Terminal city. Do you want that?" 

Still sobbing, back against the door, she slowly sank to the floor.

"Fuck you Alec." 

She was clutching her bent legs, her face hidden against her knees as she sobbed. 

Sitting down beside her, he instinctively reached out to soothe her, she raised her head from her knees and their eyes locked as he jerked his hand back.

"I'm not contagious," she snorted. "You won't catch sex from me," she said furiously.

"Okay as long as you're sure," he laughed, tentatively putting his arm around her shoulders and when she didn't resist, gingerly pulling her against him.

Bad idea,he realized instantly, as a fresh wave of testosterone pounded through him, making him groan. _Fuck this is torture._

Her eyes swung to his. "You just dumped more hormones," he explained, shifting to try and relieve the painful pulsing ache of his erection. 

"How can you tell?"

"Smell it," he said tapping his nose. "And my body can tell somehow too," he shrugged.

"The crying helped calm me down a bit," she snuffled. "I don't feel so bad now."

He looked at her strangely. "Do you always cry when you're in heat?" 

"No, not until after I've…you know," she said defeatedly. 

Frowning he pulled her closer into him.

"You were right about our hormones reacting of each other, its never been this strong for me before," she said in a small voice. 

"Ah sorry about that." Yeah sorry your making her hot…right_._

Leaning into him, putting her arm around his waist, she settled her cheek more comfortably against his chest. More hormones pounded through her.

He groaned torturedly and shifted again. She laughed into his chest.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked indignantly. 

"You! You're funny, I like it that it's making you crazy too…serves you right." 

"What…what I haven't done anything," he stammered. 

"Your male," she snorted irritably. 

"No kidding," he thought, shifting once again to try and accommodate the painful proof.

Her senses were full of him now, his scent heady, his body hard and warm where it touched hers. Eyes fluttering hazily feeling another rush of heat flush through her, she wriggled to get closer to him. Realizing she couldn't do this sitting beside him, she impatiently shrugged his arm of her shoulders and quickly moved to straddle his lap. Oh god this is better_._ Eyes closed rubbing her breasts against his chest, she nuzzled his neck breathing him in. 

Alec, his lap suddenly full of warm squirming Max, dazedly brought his hands to her waist and slid them up her back as he pulled her tighter against him. 

"We'll stop soon," he thought. Eyes closing as her arms went around his neck and her tongue snaked lazily around his ear. 

"Soon," he thought. Eyes glazing as she gently sucked his earlobe.

"Soon," as she kissed down his neck, across his jaw and nibbled across his lower lip, before sucking on it softly. 

"Soon," he thought, as she squirmed in his lap, his hand tangled in her hair, his mouth moving on hers as his world spun hazily out of focus, until there was just Max and the pounding of his heart.

Max clung to him, lost in his kiss drowning in sensation. Heats never felt like this before_._ Her last coherent thought, before the haze of heat claimed her. 

TBC

Please Review


	4. Chapter 4 Rated R

Thanks to Teegs for betaring.

**Chapter 4**

"I don't know why I let you do that Alec." She said, bewildered but also relieved Logan had gone.

I do your hormones still recognize me as your mate, he thought happily_._

"I'm tied and I'm hungry," she whined. 

"Pizza," he asked, flourishing his cell phone.

"Yeah, real cordon bleu." 

Alec, who thought pizza was food for the Gods, shrugged and hit speed dial. "Would you like me to run you a bath before you go back to bed," he asked smiling at her.

Back to bed, run me a bath, she repeated tiredly in her head as she leaned back on the couch looking at him in bemusement. Her heat was over, but that's exactly what she wanted to do, go back to bed…with Alec she thought bewildered.

"You've had a rough two days and you deserve some pampering. I'll call you when it's ready and then you can sleep for as long as you need too." He said, frowning at how exhausted she looked.

That sounds so good_, _stretching her sore muscles she flushed as her mind bombarded her with images of how her muscles became sore.

The pizza was there when she got out of the bath and they ate it in companionable silence, sitting on his bed. 

I'll bet that tee shirt never looked as good on me as it does on her, he thought, running his eyes appreciatively over the expanse of long, smooth brown leg his shirt didn't cover. His eyes moved lingering up her body, right into her amused eyes. Startled at being caught out he covered it with a nonchalant smirk. 

She laughed, realizing he hadn't expected to be caught. 

He'd been caught ogling Max and he wasn't in pain, she was laughing, he looked at her like as if she'd suddenly sprouted two heads and that made her laugh all the harder. I can't remember when I've felt so good. This is the strangest heat I've ever had. I'd thought it was over but it isn't I still want him_, _she realized in wonder.__

Imitating Alec she ran her eyes brazenly over him. She lingeringly, hotly, inventoried his body, her eyes finally coming to rest on his astonished face.Why haven't I noticed how gorgeous he is? How many men have eyelashes as absurdly long and as thick, or a mouth as kissable, or look as good as him, she thought appreciatively. He even stands out amongst Transgenics.

Smiling smugly, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down on top of her, laughing again at his stunned expression. Running her fingers through his hair she pulled his head down and opened her mouth over his her tongue eagerly seeking his.

He's so good at this, she thought languorously as his tongue stroked into her mouth his lips moving hungrily against hers, his hand under her shirt moving in lazy circles on her stomach turning her none boneless with need.

Wanting to feel his skin she tugged his shirt up, his lips only leaving hers for the time it took her to pull it over his head. Running her hands over his smooth skin feeling the warm contours of the muscles of his back contented her for a while, but soon she wanted his clothes off she wanted his skin on her skin. 

Slanting her mouth out from under his she kissed across to his ear "Off," she whispered throatily, urgently, unbuckling his belt as she licked his ear. 

Groaning he moved his ear against her mouth. I love that thing she does to my ear. She hasn't even got my pants off yet and I'm nearly cuming.

Rearing back off the bed he unzipped his pants and let them drop never taking his hungry eyes off her as she laid waiting for him. "No don't." He whispered coming back down beside her and stilling her hands on her tee shirt. 

"I want to take it off," he mouthed against her ear making her shiver. He stroked his hand up her body and along the underside of her arm leaving a trail of sensation as he eased the shirt off her.

She lay there and watched him run his eyes hungrily over her_. _It's so sexy the way he looks at me so intently, fiercely like he can't decide where to begin.

She's so beautiful everything about her is perfect. Green eyes gazing hotly into brown he closed his hand over her breast squeezing it, his thumb rubbing her nipple as she pushed up into his hand. He watched her eyes hazing with pleasure and desire. 

Desire for me. he thought wonderingly, dipping his head and sucking her other nipple into his mouth. 

She moaned his name, holding his head to her breast, running her fingers through his hair, and grinding her hips into his. He loved this, loved the way she withered and thrashed, so responsive to his smallest touch. 

Still tonguing her nipple he slid his hand lightly down her side and across her stomach, she shivered, his hand leaving a trail of sensitised skin as it moved down her body.

"Oh god," she moaned, as he slid his hand inside her panties and found her sensitive bud. Holding his wrist to keep his hand on her, she undulated her hips frantically against his hand. He grinned against her breast, her nipple still in his mouth. Kissing his way back up to her lips, his other hand on her neck, he stilled her restless head angling his mouth down over hers her tongue frantically moving in his mouth as he kissed her. 

Trailing his fingers slowly down her neck over her breast and down her side he hooked her panties and pulled them down. His hand temporarily gone from between her legs.

"Don't stop," she moaned, grabbing his wrist to bring his hand back to her, before sucking his tongue back into her mouth.

His fingers slid over her, so warm and wet, she jerked as his finger found her small bundle of nerves. "Don't stop Alec," she moaned into his mouth, moving into his hand as he stroked her. 

His mouth hot and hungry on hers, he could feel the tension in her building as she moved against his hand and made sexy little panting sounds into his mouth. 

Pulling back from their drugging kiss he looked down at her arched against him, her eyes closed her face frowning in concentration. So beautiful, leaning down he touched the tip of his tongue to her engorged nipple, her hand immediately went to his head. Moaning as he flicked his tongue over her nipple she jerked against his hand as her climax shuddered thorough her.

Clinging to him his body over her, his weight on her, his erection pressed against her hip, his mouth hungrily back on hers she slid her hands up his sides and around to his shoulders as she pulled him more tightly against her, moving her mouth off his. 

"Please, Alec, now, I want you inside me, now." 

Hand in her hair he impatiently turned her mouth back to his and covered it again his hungry and hotly demanding. 

"Please," she moaned again, into his mouth.

Slipping her hand between their bodies to grasp his hard length she stroked him mewing eagerly into his mouth, as she manoeuvred to bring him inside her. Sliding his hand up her thigh, Alec pulled her leg around his waist as he thrust inside her. 

Arching up in pleasure as he plunged into her, she heard him grunt as he entered her. Even his sound is sexy_, _she thought. 

He felt her warm, tight heat close around him, her muscles instinctively squeezing him in welcome. Moving her other leg around his waist she pulled him deeper as he stroked powerfully into her. Hand tangled in her hair his mouth plundered hers hot and demanding. She returned his kiss hungrily as he stroked relentlessly into her. 

All sensation concentrated where his body joined hers. She could feel the muscles in his back bunching under her hands as she clung to his sweat damp body and he strained over her. 

Alec could feel her clenching around him as she met him thrust for thrust. Could feel her start to tense and thrash as her tension built, her nails digging into his back as she clung to him biting into his shoulder as she started to jerk in his arms. Her climax triggered his own release and he grunted into her ear.

Holding him, his weight still on her, her body still trembling satiated and content she wondered why she had waited so long to feel like this. 

Finally rolling off her he brought her with him, he could still feel her trembling against him as he pushed the hair back from her forehead and bent to kiss her gently her lips quivered under his. 

Surprised, he pulled back quickly to scan her face. He could see her tears. Fuck she's crying!he realized in panic. 

"Max…what…?" he asked aghast.

"Its okay, Alec," she interrupted pulling his head down and kissing him quickly, innocently.

"I don't know why I'm crying I feel good, really good."

She smiled shakily through her tears. "I think it's just my heat hormones."

Stretching up she kissed him again.

Frowning, worried,  he leaned over her brushing her tears away with his thumb, "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked uncertainly.

"This heat is really strange, I feel really weird. But I'm okay," she reassured, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. 

He gently stroked his hand through her hair. Smiling softly she moved closer, he rolled onto his back so she could fit under his arm and she snuggled into his side. 

Sighing contentedly as his arms closed around her, she settled her head on his shoulder, slung her arm and her leg across him, wiggled until she was comfortable and drifted off to sleep.

He could still smell her hormones. Just enough for her to still want me close, but probably not enough to make her want to jump me again. he thought regretfully. 

He had hoped to talk to her while her heat made her still receptive to him. When she woke her hormone levels would have dropped even more and sexy, cuddly, affectionate Max would be no more.

Shame,he thought regretfully, as he stroked her hair. I like this.__

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec snapped awake as he felt her pull away from him, he grabbed her wrist as she tried to sit up. Rolling to his side he leaned on his elbow and looked down at her.

"Sneaking off, Maxie, uh uh, not very good morning after etiquette," he admonished, smirking at her.

He watched her close her eyes and saw tears gathering at the corners. Oh fuck, Great Alec, good start he told himself in disgust.

"I'm not ready yet," her voice panicked, as she tried to pull her wrist free.

Not a great way to start he thought scanning her averted face.

"We have to talk," he said, still holding onto her, "you might be pregnant." 

The shock on her face told him she hadn't thought of this. 

"I didn't use any protection…the heat…I'm sorry…I couldn't think…I'm sorry, Max, I've always…" he trailed off, as he looked at her shocked face.

He ploughed on, "According to the good ole Manticore Sex Ed Manuel, 'X5's in heat have a 90% chance of a successful mating outcome,'" he quoted exactly. 

"Successful outcome Manticore style means pregnancy, Max," his eyes were fixed on her pale face.

Silence

"I need to know what you're going to do," he asked finally, still holding onto her wrist.

Max lay there, her mind immobilized, blank unable to think. Pregnant, pregnant to Alec kept replaying over and over in her head. 

Silence

"Later might be too late," he stumbled on, momentarily closing his eyes and exhaling deeply as he thought about what he had to say. "I don't know much about it, but I do know you can take pills to stop it from happening, if you do it early enough," he added, uncomfortably. Fuck this is hard.

Swallowing tensely, he scanned her blank emotionless face. "If you are pregnant, with my baby, then I want to help you raise it. Logan isn't gonna raise any child of mine. If it can't be that way, then I want you to see a doctor," he finished quietly, as he let go of her wrist. 

Realizing he had let her go, she sat up swinging her legs to the floor. Sitting on the edge of the bed her back to him she tugged the sheet loose wrapping it around her body.

He's just asked me something, something important_,_ her thoughts slow she replayed his words in her head.

"Okay," she agreed flatly, as she started to collect her clothes.

Okay, okay what? he wondered, as he watched her retreating back heading into his bathroom the sheet wrapped tightly around her.

Okay, we're probably going to have a baby?

Okay, we're not?

Okay, fuck you, Logan and me are probably going to have your baby.

Okay, what?he thought in frustration. 

TBC

Please Review 

Thanks for your reviews. They are very encouraging. Because I'm new to this, it's been hard for me to judge if what I am writing is crap. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. The fact that some of you have liked it and have taken the time to tell me is cool. 


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks to Teegs for Betaring

**Chapter Five**

OC rushed over as Max came in the door, "Boo are you okay you're been gone for three days? Logan told me about you going into heat, and Alec, dragging you off against your will. I went looking for you, but I didn't know where his new place was."

"Sketchy was AWOL, so I couldn't ask him, I wuz going mad with worry. I went down to Terminal City and found Joshua, he told me Alec helped you. He said you were alright." OC knew she was babbling, but she was just so relieved to see her. 

"You are all right, aren't you Boo?" she asked hesitantly, taking in Max's ashen unhappy face. "Come and sit down and tell OC all about it," she said, her arm around Max's now shaking shoulders.

"Alec just told me to have an abortion, " she said, tears welling up in her eyes as they sat down on the couch.

"What…what are you pregnant?" OC asked confused.

"No," sobbed Max. "I don't know…I could be."

"What's it got to do with Alec?" OC asked frowning. 

Max sobbed all the harder. 

"What…that low down bastard! I'm gonna kick his Trangencic arse." OC seethed, her eyes narrowing. "He's been screwing you and now your pregnant. He's told you to get a fucking abortion. I'm gonna lay the smack down on him until he's dead," she raged.

"No, no…we haven't…it was my heat…its not his fault OC…but he told me to get an abortion," she hiccuped into OC's shoulder. "I don't even know if I'm pregnant yet," she wailed. 

"What…let's back up here a bit Boo. OC's, all confused. Alec knows about heat if he screwed you when you were in heat then he took advantage of you," she said indignantly. "This is, Alec, who you don't have a good word for how is it not his fault," she demanded angrily. 

Max cried all the harder. 

"He didn't take advantage I came onto him," she stammered. 

"Heat affects him, like it affects me…our hormones…once we started he couldn't help himself any more than I could. He didn't screw me, OC, it wasn't like that," she wept. "I don't want to get an abortion," she sobbed unhappily.

"Its alright," OC said, patting Max's shoulder soothingly. 

"I'm ssorry, OC, I know I'm being stupid but I can't seem to sstop crying. I think it's my hormones, tthey reacted really strongly to his. My heat was more powerful and longer than I'm used too. I feel really weird and emotional. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, its okay." OC sympathised still rubbing her shoulder. "You repress a lot of your feelings, Boo, so maybe you really needed to just let this all out. What I don't understand is why he told you to get an abortion when you don't even know if you're pregnant?"

"I don't know why either," she sobbed. "He said something about Logan, then told me to go and see a doctor to stop it, I can't remember what exactly he said. I was still thinking about being pregnant and then he said that…and I just had a shower and walked home." 

"Why d'ya walk, Boo, where's your bike?" OC asked, thinking a change of topic might diffuse things a bit. 

"It's at Alec's. I forgot it." 

_Forgot her Baby bloody hell. _

"It doesn't matter what, Alec, said. If you're pregnant and you want the baby then you gonna have it. I'll help, you know you'll never be on your own."

"I know, OC, you're the best friend. I'd never get an abortion, ever," she said emphatically. "I just wish he hadn't said it," she whispered dejectedly into OC's shoulder.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

OC was really getting worried.

Max was still huddled into the corner of the couch clutching the same cushion she'd been holding for the last hour, still sobbing miserably. 

This can't be good for her. she thought in panic. 

"Boo, Boo your got to stop this." Sitting down beside her she put her arm around Max's shoulders. "I've called Logan," she soothed. "He'll make you feel bett…"

"No, no OC I can't see him, I don't want to see him…not now…how could you do that?" she wailed. 

"It's all right, its all right." OC tried to pacify, feeling more and more out of her depth. "I'll call him and tell him not to come." 

"But I am calling, Cece," she said determinedly. "This isn't you, Boo, this X5 hormonal shit, OC don't know nothing about that. We need some help."

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"Who're you?" OC demanded to the dark haired women with Cece.

"I'm Kat, I'm a friend of Max's, I've come with Cece cause I've been through heats with my mate and I know what's happening to Max, Cece's hasn't been through heat with another transgenic yet."

Max had started to calm down, OC noticed with relief, the tears were still flowing but she'd stopped sobbing. 

Kat and Cece were both sitting on the couch, Kat with her arm around Max and Cece holding her hand. They were just sitting close talking quietly and…well…stroking Max, touching her, and she was letting them OC marveled.

If I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believe it, OC thought incredulously.

It seemed to be working, Max was calming down, getting control of herself. 

"She's never been like this after heat before" OC confided. 

"We're all like this in heat with our own kind," Kat replied, more for Max, than OC. "Heat with another transgenic is much more powerful than with a human. Transgenic males drop a huge amount of testosterone and adrenaline during heat. Our bodies respond to that by producing much higher levels of hormones."

"You haven't had a true heat if you have only ever been with human males, Max." Kat said stroking her hair. "It isn't over yet only the first stage, the hazy frenzied part when you were both dumping hormones. You're in the second stage now, that's the time when you're supposed to work the huge hormonal build up through your body. You do it with your mate, that's why it's called mating," Kat finished smiling, as she stroked Max's hair.

"Where's Alec, what's happened Max?" Kat asked her soothingly. 

"He sent me away," Max whispered exhaustedly, her head on Kat's shoulder. "He sent me away," she repeated pitifully. 

"What?" Kat frowned in disbelief. "It would be against all his instincts to send you away while you were still in heat." 

"He told me to get an abortion too," Max, said wanly, tears in her eyes once again.

Kat patted her shoulder comfortingly, frowning over her head at an equally puzzled Cece.

"Sometimes things can get a little confusing in heat, we'll get Alec to come here and we'll sort out what's happened." Kat said.

"He tried to kill me too," Max hiccuped pitifully. "Me and Joshua he tried to kill us," she sobbed tragically.

"What?" Kat asked in shock, her eyes quickly drawn to OC, who was shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

"Let's get Alec here, and sort this out for you," Kat offered soothingly, still stroking Max's hair.

"No, He sent me away. I've been through heat on my own before I can do it again," Max hiccupped miserably. 

"This'll be much harder than just trying to ride heat out, without mating. You've got more hormones in your system than you've ever had before. They'll take a while to work through," Kat said doubtfully. "Your not only gonna be frustrated but depressed, sad, anxious, confused. If you let me get Alec it will…"

"No," Max interrupted "How long do you think it'll take?" 

"At least a week, hard to say," Kat said.

"I'll get my things," Max said numbly without moving. How could I have gone from feeling so good to so bad in just a few hours? She wondered dejectedly.

"I can look after you, like I've done before you don't have to go Boo," OC offered doubtfully, bravely.

"Not this time, OC, but thanks anyway." Max answered dispiritedly.

Worried, OC frowned at Cece. 

"She'll be fine OC. Heat really puts us in touch with our instincts. Max is being guided by hers. Instincts tells her that if she can't be with her mate, she's best with her own kind," Cece explained.

"Transgenics mating in heat, naturally hole up somewhere safe until heat is finished. Just like back in the jungle." Kat said. The best place for Max to have done that was at Alec's, to finish what she started." The next best, safest place is with us in Terminal City," Kat offered, agreeing with Cece.

"Her mate…Alec but…" OC repeated incredulously. "What about Logan?" she blurted unthinkingly.

Max started to cry again. "Her instincts chose Alec not Logan." Kat said, glaring at OC as she resumed soothing Max.

"Yeah and didn't he fuck up big time," OC thought, looking over at a desolate Max. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it. Max emotional, crying, anxious and…needing Alec,OC thought, shaking her head in disbelief.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Banging, what the hell was that banging? 

"Oh shit that must be Logan at the door," OC said as Max's panicked eyes swung to her.

"I rang him and told him not to come," she blurted apologetically worried eyes on Max's apprehensive face.

"I'll go and get my things," Max said, jumping up. "Tell him I don't want to see him today."

"I'll just get rid of him, it won't take a minute," she offered confidently making her way to the door. 

Cece looked at Kat, her eyebrow raised, as they heard OC try and send Logan away. First nicely, then more stridently, as Logan herded her  backwards towards the living room. 

Stepping up to OC's back they halted her retreat. OC her backward retreat halted by Cece and Kat quickly recouped.

"Now as I was saying Logan. Max is here, and she is safe so there is nothing for you to worry about but as I already told you she don't want to see you today."

"Look, OC, I need to see her, it's very important," Logan explained, as he tried to dodge around OC, only to be met by a stony faced Kat.

"Max," he yelled, grabbing Kats arm to move her aside. 

Kat pulled her arm quickly up, and then down to break his hold. Grabbed his arm, she twisted it around, and ran it up Logan's back until he was doubled over unable to move. 

"I don't like to be grabbed," she confided conversationally into his ear. 

"Now Max has told you that she doesn't want to see you today. So I suggest you go home." 

Propelling him, still bent over, towards the door and closing it after him.

Logan furious, finding himself once more on the wrong side of a closed door, fuming about the arrogance and inconsideration of Transgenics, wisely decided to go home.

TBC

Please Review


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to Teegs for Betaring

**Chapter 6**

His eyes went immediately to her bike, still here, two days since she'd left and she still hadn't come to collect it. She never left her bike anywhere. Each day it sat there he became more desperate, more worried, more frantic to find her. 

OC would tell him nothing. He couldn't get any sense out of her, every time he asked about Max, she told him loud and long what an insensitive, undeserving, callous bastard he was. 

Whenever he came near her or Cece they would stop talking and even with his transgenic hearing, he hadn't been able hear what they were talking about. Cece was treating him with the same disdain as OC, as were most of the female inhabitants of Terminal City, plus Biggs was avoiding him. 

He could understand why Max might be pissed off with him, Logan, OC even. But he couldn't for the life of him understand what the hell it had to do with anyone else. He finally thought he'd figured out what must have happened. Max had decided to do something to prevent a pregnancy and something had gone wrong. 

When consumed with regret and guilt, he had stammered this theory out to OC, she had screamed at him, so hard and so long that his sensitive ears had rung for the rest of the afternoon. Of course that could also have been because she had slapped them, hard. For a human she packed quite a wallop.

Beside himself by then, he had gone to Logan's. He'd practically begged Logan to tell him something, anything, he'd been sure he would have at least heard from her, even if he didn't know where she was. But Logan wasn't at all pleased to see him and it didn't take Alec long to realize he'd get no help there. Fighting the urge to end Logan's disdainful tirade, with his fist, he came away no better informed and even more worried.

He cursed himself for the hundredth time for letting her leave the way she did. It had felt so wrong. At the last minute he'd gone after her, when he'd caught her in the stairwell she'd averted her face from him and started to cry. She'd looked so fragile as she'd gone down the stairs, her head down, hugging herself, scrunched against the stair wall keeping as far away from him as possible. 

He'd followed her into the street but she wouldn't talk, just wanted to get away from him. Fighting the overwhelming instinct to just haul her back to his apartment, he'd been afraid to touch her, hadn't known what to do. So he'd watched her as she walked away, watched her until he couldn't see her anymore, watched until he realized that barefoot and clad only in his jeans he was attracting undue attention. 

From the moment she had left his sight he had started to worry, he'd worried about her in the past, but not like this, not frantic all consuming worry, until finding her was his only focus he couldn't work, he couldn't sleep. On some level he knew it was irrational but he couldn't help it. In the back of his mind he realized it had something to do with her heat, that it had bonded him even more strongly to her. 

He tried to keep that disquieting thought in the back of his mind. His level of attachment to her prior to heat had been hard enough to deal with, given that she was in love with Logan. He didn't want to think about how much harder it would be now.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Joshua ignored him in the middle of command things started clicking in his head. 

"You know where she is don't you Joshua."

"Why do you care Alec?" 

He'd had enough. "I do care, I've always cared, I need to find her, talk to her, find out if she's alright," he shouted, oblivious to the fact he had every transgenic in the buildings undivided attention.

Joshua snorted. "Why did you tell her to kill your baby then Alec?"

"Wwhat did you say," he stammered frowning. "Who told you that?" 

"Max told me. Max very upset, her heat upset her, you upset her, Logan upset her, lots of upset lots of crying." 

Joshua must have misunderstood her.

"You've talked to her?" he asked frowning.

"She's been here," he thought, the penny suddenly dropping. 

"She's here isn't she?" he demanded, looking about him wildly, nobody would meet his eyes. "I've been worried out of my mind and none of you had the decency to tell me she was safe, here?" he shouted furiously.

"Just for the fucking record." Now aware he was the centre of all attention. "Not that it's any of your damn business. I did not tell her to kill the baby. Now where the fuck is she?" he demanded angrily.

"She's on Oak street apartment with Cece and Biggs," Kat replied, surprising him, as she had been one of the women treating him like a leper over the last two days. 

Alec stomped furiously out of the still silent Command. 

"Better than a Soap Opera," chuckled Mole, to a smiling Joshua as normal activity resumed.

She's been here all the fucking time he seethed, as he stormed over to Oak Street. No wonder Biggs has been avoiding me. I'm gonna smack him so fucking hard, he's gonna be seeing stars for a fucking week.

As he rounded the corner into Oak Street, he found himself face to face with a startled Biggs and he did just that. Without even breaking his stride. Storming up the stairs, he banged furiously on the door only to have it promptly opened by an indignant Cece, catching him by surprise his hand poised to bang again. Cece took one look at him and punched him hard in the stomach. Doubled over clutching his stomach, he staggered past her into the apartment.

"Cece! What's…Alec," said a shocked Max. "What are you doing here?" 

"What the hell do you think I'm doing here," straightening up, he kept a wary eye on Cece. "I'm looking for you, I have been for the past two fucking days."

"Well now you've found me, what do you want?" 

Face to face with her, he had quickly run out of steam and found himself temporarily at a loss for words. 

_Shit, shit why do I always feel so awkward around her._

Looking at her beautiful face, he felt a wave of relief at finding her safe and well. Ever since Manticore burned and he had decided to stay in Seattle with her, they'd looked out for each other. Even if Max had been begrudging about it, she had still had his back. 

She had been there for him and he needed that, valued it. He was afraid that she might cut him out of her he life because of what had happened between them. These past two days of her not returning his calls, of being stone walled by everyone as he frantically searched for her had made him realize how much he needed her in his life, even if it could only be as a friend. 

He knew he hadn't done anything wrong, once they had started her heat had been out of their control. But Max didn't usually see things the way he did and probably wouldn't see this his way either.

Max could see him thinking almost hear the wheels of his mind turning. Why am I only noticing now, how when you catch him off guard like this, you can see what he's thinking and feeling just by watching his eyes.

She was starting to feel better a lot better. He'd been looking for her.

"What do you want Alec?" she repeated.

Alec pulled away from his thoughts, cast furiously about for something, anything to say "I want to talk to you." He finally announced triumphantly.

"About what?" 

"You know what about, Max," uncomfortably he glanced  over at a glowering Cece. "Without Cece here," he said.

"Cece, Alec's…" Biggs trailed off, as his eyes encountered a scowling Alec. 

"What happened to you?" Cece asked quickly, taking in his bloody and probably broken nose, her eyes swinging suspiciously to Alec. 

"Ah nothing I fell over," he said quickly. 

"You fell over," Cece repeated incredulously. 

"Yeah, why don't we go next-door and visit Kat for a while so Alec, can talk to Max." Biggs answered, fingering his sore nose.

"I'm not leaving her with this pig," Cece protested, scowling disapprovingly at Alec.

"Max," Alec whined. 

"Its all right Cece. I'll be fine I'm feeling much better." 

"All right then," Cece said begrudgingly, fixing Alec with an evil glare as Biggs ushered her out the door.

"What do you mean you feel better? Have you been sick?"

"No, yes, well maybe…my hormones have just taken a while to settle down with my heat and everything else, I've just been a little off colour that's all. When two Transgencics…she faltered, when two Transgenics mate during heat it can take a while for the females hormones to settle down," she finished, finally meeting his eyes.

Its somehow comforting, reassuring just to have him here. When did I become so acutely aware of him she thought?

"Do you want some coffee?" She asked tearing her eyes away from his.

"Coffee? Oh yeah sure. Look I'm sorry Max I…"

"You don't have to apologise," she interrupted quickly. "It's not your fault. I thought it was mine but after talking to the women, I've come to understand its not my fault either its just genetics. Not my fault not yours," she added, eyes on the coffee she was spooning into the percolator. "So you don't have to apologise."

This is promising, no blame is always good_._ He thought, looking down at her as she fiddled with the cups. 

"So, okay then, if it's not my fault why did you disappear? Why didn't you return my calls?" he asked warily. "Why has every body been treating me like a serial killer? I've been out of my mind with worry."

"Have you?" she asked, glancing at him curiously, "Why?"

"Why?" he repeated floundering. "Because I was worried." He said lamely. Way to go, really articulate Alec he told himself. 

"Yes you said that." 

"When will you know?" he asked, eyes watching her as she poured the water into the coffee machine.

"I already know," she answered, immediately knowing what he was talking about.

"Well are you?" he asked exasperated. _It's like pulling teeth._

"Yes." 

Over the last two days when he hadn't been worrying about Max he had thought about nothing but this. Max and his baby. All his thought and fears clamoured through his brain again. Did he want a baby? Could he keep a baby safe? Would he be a good father? Would she let him be a father? Would she stay with him as his mate?

Until this moment his feelings had been mixed he hadn't really known how he felt about it. But here now, with her telling him it was a reality, they were having a baby, he realized he did want it, wanted it with Max the two of them together. For a moment he closed his eyes, relishing the pure joy of it. 

Max watching him saw the emotions flickering through his eyes panic, fear, uncertainty and finally wariness.

He still doesn't want it.

When he opened his eyes, hers were fixed on his, but hers were anxious and sad. 

She doesn't want it he thought, his heart sinking, his joy fading. Did you really expect her too, did you really think that a couple of nights of heat induced fucking would change anything, change what she thinks or feels about you, make her want your baby. He asked himself scornfully. 

Well at least you know she enjoyed herself_._ He thought bitterly. The pain in his heart was a tangible thing, he felt like crying. 

She was still talking to him, lost in his thoughts he only managed to catch the tail end of it. 

"But I'd never, ever do that" he heard. 

Silence 

I've just told him I'm not killing our baby and he's ignoring me. He's just sitting there. When has he ever, not got something to say? She thought, her eyes narrowing on him, as her mood moved mercurially from sad to rage.

Alec felt her eyes pin him, and watched them narrow, bewildered. Usually to get that kind of response from Max he would have to say or do something really, annoying. 

"Why are you just sitting there, you big fucking oaf?" She shouted. "Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" 

He looked at her in confusion. This was new, she was angry because he hadn't said anything. 

"I didn't get this way on my own," she screamed.

"I know Max," he agreed placatingly, completely baffled, "I kno…"

"What sort of a person doesn't want their own baby, wants to kill their own child!?" she screamed. 

He stared at her in disbelief, thoughts racing through his head. I thought that was something Joshua got wrong. She really thinks I want to kill the baby.

She saw the shock and dismay play across his face and it was too much for her. 

This is not my fault. It doesn't matter if he doesn't want this baby, I do, Joshua does, OC does, we don't need him she thought angrily.

I'm not going to cry I'm sick of fucking crying_._ But the unwanted tears had already begun to stream down her face.

"Fucking hormones," she wailed, "I want to kill you not cry over you."

"Max," he said sternly.

She was sobbing inconsolably now. 

"Max, calm down, stop it. We need to talk."

"Fuck off Alec, I'm done talking to you," she screamed, kicking him hard in the knee. 

That's better he thought, wincing. Max is alive and well in there somewhere. 

Grabbing her by her upper arms he turned her quickly around and pulled her hard up against his body, he hugged her pinning her arms to her sides, immobilising her. She was still sobbing hard. 

"Shh, shh, It's alright," he soothed, rubbing his cheek against hers and along her neck. "Shh its okay, everything is gonna be alright, shh, shh."

"What the hell is going on in here?" Cece demanded, bursting into the room, Biggs trailing sheepishly behind her. 

Alec didn't even look up as he continued to try and comfort Max.

She was still sobbing and he was still consoling her, long after Biggs and Cece had left.

TBC

Please Review. 

The Emotive talk around abortion is part of the story it is not intended as a comment on abortion.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to Teegs for betaring

**Chapter Seven**

Her sobbing had slowed to a slow hiccuping and she was leaning exhaustedly against him. 

"Where's your bed Max?" He asked gently his lips on her ear. "I think you need to lie down." 

"I'm ssorry," she hiccuped. "It's the fucking hormones, they make me crazy." 

Don't they just? he thought, smiling into her hair.

"Where's you room Maxie?"

"It's the first one on the right."

He picked her up, she linked her arms around his neck and nestled into his solid, warm chest as he carried her down the hall, sighing she thought about how right she felt in his arms. Something was happening between them she wasn't sure what it was yet, but when she was with him she felt things she'd never felt before, it was confusing.

For the last two days they had been apart she had done nothing but think about where he was, what he was doing and with whom he was doing it. She hadn't wanted him in her thoughts like that, and it had made her angry that he was. But she couldn't deny the relief she felt at having him back with her now. 

This heat has been really weird, bewildering really, once its finished she wouldn't feel like this. Her pulse won't race, her throat won't go dry when she looked at him and her body won't turn to mush when he touched her. It's just her heat. She hesitantly told herself. 

_I like how he makes me feel came the unbidden thought. No you don't. You're only supposed to feel that about Logan._

Putting her down on the bed he took her boots off and pulled the quilt around her. 

"We need to straighten something out Max." Taking her hand as he sat on the edge of the bed. 

"What you said about me wanting to kill the baby, Joshua said the same thing. I can't understand how you would think I would want to do that."

"You said it, in your apartment, during my heat just before I went home." She looked at him frowning she couldn't remember exactly what he'd said, she'd been thinking about being pregnant.

"You said I had to leave and go to the doctor before it was to late to stop it from happening," she remembered, her eyes huge and tragic and starting to tear up again. 

Oh godhe thought feeling like the world's biggest asshole. 

"Sshhh don't cry," he said stroking her hair. Wherewere all these tears coming from? How could it have all got so mixed up? He asked himself looking at her in bafflement.

"No, Max, that's not what I said. You didn't hear the rest and I wasn't telling you to leave, your heat had finished, you were going."

"I was going to the bathroom…my, my heat still hasn't really finished yet," she returned quietly, her eyes on her fingers as they plucked at the quilt.

He recognized what she said immediately. He knew instinctively that it was true. 

It wasn't just the residue hormones he could still smell, or even her weird behaviour_._ He realized almost laughing, thinking about how unMax like it was.

He'd instinctively known it when Logan came to try and take her away and he'd felt it when she'd left on her own. It had felt wrong, deep down atavistically he'd known she still needed to be with him that she was still vulnerable. That was why it had been so hard to watch her walk away. Part of the reason he'd been so frantically, probably irrationally worried about her had been this awareness. Fuck, fuck. Tilting her chin up until she was looking into his eyes, he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. 

_I want you Max I want you for my mate in my bed every night under me, over me, around me hot, eager and willing. I want the baby, but with you and me together, no Logan just you and me._

So how do I tell you? He asked himself sadly as he stroked her cheek and gazed into her eyes. How does the guy you love to hate, the guy you think is a juvenile, annoying, selfish screw-up tell you he loves you and wants to be the only man in your life?

Watchful, guarded, green eyes stared into brown. 

"I said that if you were pregnant with my baby I wanted to help you raise it." 

Her smile irradiated her face taking him by surprise. 

He faltered, swallowing, "I…I said I didn't want Logan to raise my child. I still don't," he repeated watching her still smiling face carefully.

Fuck, he thought swallowing this was hard enough the first time.

"I also said that if we couldn't raise our child together, then I wanted you to go the doctor and stop it happening," he rushed on. "I meant the morning after pills that prevent conception. I never wanted you to kill the baby and I wasn't telling you to leave. I would never have told you to go. I'm sorry I upset you, Max, sorry things got so confused. If I could take it back, I would." Moving to sit beside her he pulled her against him and rubbed his cheek on her hair.

Max leaned into him, her hand resting on his stomach. 

She was starting to feel a lot better, stronger not so weepy, happy. Happier and safer than I've felt in a long, long time. she thought.

_He makes me feel like this, hopeful, in the confusion that is my life at the moment Logan, White, Terminal City, there is suddenly Alec telling me he wants a baby with me and I feel ridiculously happy._

He makes me feel strong and he makes me feel safe. She needed him…Alec annoying smart arsed, arrogant, Alec she thought with wonder.

She'd been thinking about this a lot over the last two days. Her physical need, her heat need for him had been intolerable, her body had nearly driven her crazy. What had scared her was that she had needed Alec, not just any male to relieve herself with, she'd needed, wanted only him. 

Kat's said that her instincts had chosen Alec, she'd taken him, in heat, as her mate, her body and her primal instincts now recognised him, desired him, there was now a connection between them. 

She had laughed ignoring Kat's knowing smile. Her head had tried to dismiss the idea but her instincts wouldn't let her and her body had continued to demand and yearn for Alec. 

The overwhelming relief she was feeling now he was here, was starting to make her realize it was more than just her body, whether she wanted it or not her feelings for him were changing, she had made some kind of connection with him. 

Beside, the amazing physical one. she acknowledged, smiling contentedly as she nestled closer, her mind flashing to him over her, inside her hard and tireless. She felt something for him, she still wasn't sure what, but even just having him here, like this, made her feel good. With Alec she felt comfortable like she belonged she didn't have to hide anything from him. She didn't have to wonder if she was doing or saying the right things, worry about whether she was human enough, normal enough, like she always did when she was with Logan.

Her thoughts drifted off to think about Logan…

She'd been quiet for a long time, had stopped crying, she wasn't angry with him anymore, had let him comfort her and he already knew she wasn't repulsed by his touch, liked it in fact_, _he assured himself, smirking as she snuggled against him. 

This was all positive, but he still didn't know what was going to happen from here. Her rage, when she had thought he wanted her to have an abortion, had given him hope that even if she didn't want him, she at least wanted the baby.

Did this mean he would have the chance to be with her, that they would stay together after her heat, that they could be together, Max and him and the baby?

What about Logan? he asked himself, his heart constricting. Where did Max think Logan fit into their puzzle?__

"I'm sorry too," she rubbed her cheek against his chest as she tilted her head up to look at him. 

Pulled away from his musing he stared at her blankly.

"Sorry for kicking you," she explained. 

He started to laugh, "What? You're apologising for causing me pain?" he laughed incredulously. "Those hormones are really doing a number on you aren't they Maxie?"

"Shut up," she huffed elbowing him in his ribs.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8 Rated R

Thankyou to Teegs for betaring

**Chapter 8**

Hearing movement in the apartment he came quickly to consciousness. Must have dozed off he thought glancing sleepily down at Max lying sprawled across him, he nuzzled her hair breathing in her scent now a mixture of both him and her. He loved his own smell on her. He felt calmer the tension of the past two days gone now that he was no longer dominated by his need to find her.

Since her heat his feelings for her were even stronger protective, possessive he thought uncomfortably, her heat had triggered the change he now felt a deeper more primitive more primal connection. His instincts recognized her, her smell, her sound her presence. 

He'd always operated from his instincts, he was comfortable with them. If he lived in the jungle like his feline ancestors it would be simple, he'd fight for her, she would be his, end of story. But unfortunately only his instincts were jungle bound, his life wasn't out here in the ordinarys world wasn't.

So what now where did they go from here. How was it gonna work Logan, Max, him  and his kid just one big happy family? He mused cynically.

Yeah like Logan's gonna go for that he scoffed, smiling sardonically to himself then bitterly as he realized that while Logan might have the luxury of not accepting it he didn't. If he wanted to stay in Max's life, be there for her and the baby he'd have to accept whatever role she chose to give him. Scapegoat, friend, helper, lover, mate…yeah right, not much chance of the last two, not very likely she was going to choose him over Logan, even with the baby.

He washardly likely to be the candidate of choice to raise a baby with, the guy who tried to kill her to save his own skin. She's really had some fond memories of him…… yeah she's really gonna pick him_._ He thought hopelessly.

Max shifted restlessly in her sleep, he gently hitched her higher on his shoulder stroking her hair until he felt her start to relax again. 

Heat had connected her to him in a manner he didn't know how to override, his primordial instincts recognized her as his mate, he didn't know how he could go back to living on the periphery of her life, watching her with Logan and keeping quiet about how he felt.

What was the alternative if she wouldn't give him a chance? Could he leave her, in the past he'd thought about it, when the hopelessness of wanting, loving someone who didn't want him had gotten too much? But no matter how bad things had been between them, he hadn't been able to do it.

Now it was even more complicated, there was also his child he wouldn't just be leaving Max he'd be leaving his child to grow up without him.

But how would a baby fare in their sort of complicated triangle? Maybe it would be best for him to just bow out, remove the dilemma. But even if he could do that, if he could override his instincts, his heart and leave them, who would protect them. Logan sure as hell couldn't. In fact she needed someone to protect her from Logan he thought remembering some of the dangerous situations Logan had sent her into.

_Fuck what a mess whichever way I turn I'm fucked._

Pregnant, and later with a child she would be even more vulnerable to White. She needed him and he need to be there for her. No point in worrying about it now he decided peering at her peaceful content face as she shifted her head on his shoulder. It's not as if she can make any decisions while she's still in heat anyway.

Careful not to wake her he gently eased her off him, slid his shoulder out from under her head and settled her onto the pillow. He wanted to talk to Cece about the crying, and the other hormonal stuff, Manticore's lessons about heat had left more blanks than they had filled. 

With a bit of luck he'd be back before she woke up he didn't want to miss any more of her heat, he wanted to make the most of the rest of it while he could. Gazing down at her he brushed her hair off her face.

Closing the door quietly, he went into the living room, both Cece and Biggs were there and he could smell food. 

"Smells good," he said to Cece ignoring Biggs.

"I wanted to tell you she was here, Man. I really did but Cece said she'd hurt me if I did," Biggs blurted contritely, shrugging his shoulders. 

Alec remembering Cece's punch in his gut felt some small sympathy for him.

"We've already heard, that you told the whole of Command that you didn't tell Max to kill your baby," he said, looking pointedly at Cece.

"I tried to tell her," he explained, motioning at Cece, "that sending Max away in the middle of her heat definitely wasn't something you'd do, and telling her to get an abortion didn't sound right either, but nnnoo she knew best… 'How could Max get that wrong?'" he said, mimicking Cece's voice and rolling his eyes.

"I always know best," Cece reinforced  glaring at him. 

"Max misheard what I said to her," Alec said defensively. "I did not tell her to get an abortion and I sure as hell didn't send her away." 

Cece raised her eyebrow skeptically. 

"Okay, okay I fucked up. But I only told her to take the morning after pill if I wasn't gonna be allowed to raise my own kid. If Logan was gonna raise it he mumbled. I do want it but I want to be its father with Max I…"

"Have you told Max this?" Cece impatiently, interrupted his rambling.

"Of course."

"You've told her that you want her to be your mate?" she asked, eyebrow raised again.

Alec gaped at her, "Well I, well…no…not…exactly…like that," he said awkwardly. "But I sort …of said…that when I said I wanted the baby." 

She raised her eyebrow again.

"Didn't I?" He asked plaintively. 

Cece rolled her eyes.

"Well you don't just come right out and ask someone be your mate, " he added defensively. 

"Not Max anyway," he mumbled.

"And you know this why?"

"Well…all guys know that," he looked over at Biggs who nodded sagely in support. 

"Yeah we all know that." Biggs echoed. "Yeah there are certain things that come first." 

"And these are?" Cece asked eyebrow again raised.

Biggs looked at Alec who looked back shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh pleeease," Cece laughed at Biggs in amusement. "This from a guy who when he first met me thought a hand on my leg and a 'hey babe your place or mine?' was high romance."

"Hey," Biggs said indignantly. "That kind of stuff is private."

"And you can stop smirking," she said pointedly to Alec. "At least he asked." 

"Yeah," mumbled Biggs all thoughts of solidarity abandoned as he looked at Alec's smirking face. "And I won't be stupid enough to miss most of your heat either," he said, earning him a death glare from Alec, and a fond smile from Cece.

"So Cece you think I should just come right out and ask Max to be with me," Alec asked, gesturing expansively. "Cold, just like that." 

"Well, the other option would be what Alec…to wait for her to ask you?"

He could see her point not a likely scenario.

"What's the deal with the hormones Cece? All this crying and stuff it's a bit disconcerting…I mean this is Max."

"You're the first transgenic Max has been with so this was her first real heat. It's normal to be moody, dependent, emotional and even weepy in heat. She had a huge hormonal response to you but she hasn't been able to work it through because you effectively chased her away when she still needed to be with you," Cece ended reprovingly. 

"I thought her heat was over, I didn't want her to go," Alec groaned miserably. "Believe me no one knows I've fucked up better than me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He could hear her crying again as he went into the hall. Balancing her food in one hand he opened the door to her room with the other. She was lying on her side clutching a pillow sobbing.

"Max." 

Spinning around, she sat up wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. 

"Alec I thought you'd gone," she said tragically. "Left me again," she added heart wrenchingly her eyes brimful of tears. 

"No…I'm still here, I'm not going anywhere until your heats finished and you're feeling yourself again," he soothed. 

She smiled tremulously at him.

Its like he was in a weird parallel universe_, _he thought, smiling goofily back at her as he nodded his head reassuringly. 

"Cece's made you some food," he handed her the plate, as he sat down beside her his back against the headboard. She promptly swung herself across him, one of her knees burrowing between his thighs as she reached across and put the plate on the bedside table.

"No Max, you've got to eat, Cece's been worried about you not eating," his hands went to her hips to lift her off. She sat down on his thigh putting her arms around his neck she pulled his head down and put lips on his ear, "I'm…glad…your…back…I…missed…you," she breathed throatily between licks.

Oh God, the ear thing…she missed me, he thought dazedly, closing his eyes. He still couldn't quite believe she needed him, wanted to do this with him. He groaned as her mouth left his ear and she nipped and sucked her way down his neck.

"Max," he said, struggling to clear his head, "Cece has made you some food, you need to eat."

"Don't wanna eat, want you," she was back to his ear again now.

It had worried him when Cece had said she hadn't been eating, what with the baby and the stress on her body from heat, she needed more food not less. Closing his arms around her he nuzzled her neck breathing in her intoxicating scent momentarily surrendering to the pleasure of just being able to hold her again.

Twinning his hand in her hair he gently prized her mouth of him. "Eat first," he said firmly, kissing her quickly, before lifting her off his thigh and handing her the plate.

"Okay," she agreed obediently taking the plate from him, smiling sweetly.

Alec blinked, shocked, Max had just done what he'd asked, no argument, no pain, no swearing, he peered at her cautiously, suspiciously but all she did was start to eat her meal. Another benefit of heat, the hormones must make her agreeable he finally decided.  He could really get used to agreeable Max. He thought complacently smirking smugly as he settled back to watch her eat.

She liked looking at him_, _she decided, studying his face as she ate. OC was right he is pretty but it's more than that. There's just something about him. The way he smiles his expressions, his personality his unapologetic maleness.

Alec, tensing uncomfortably under her intense scrutiny wondered what she was thinking about. It couldn't be good he decoded she never looked at him unless he'd done something to piss her off.

He thought about the crap things he'd done to her, the messes he'd got himself into. The stupid things he'd done some of them exclusively just to get her to attention to get her to notice him. He cursed himself for his past idiocy. 

All those fond memories of him and his screw-ups she had to contrast against her memories of solid, upstanding, dependable good old Logan, he though hopelessly, pain slicing through him.

Puzzled, she sensed his mood changing and watched his expression turn bleak.

"What's the matter?" she asked worriedly.

"Ah nothing Max," he answered warily.

She shrugged frowning and continued to study him as she ate, eyes roaming over his short spiky hair framing the strong angles of his face. She could feel her nipples start to tighten and her body flush with desire for him, she hurried to finish her meal.

"Alec growing increasingly more tense under her unwavering stare started to fidget. 

"Like what you see huh?" he asked cockily in an effort to break the tension. 

Oh great, really mature you idiot he told himself, immediately wishing he could call back his words.

She didn't answer him just put her empty plate down and climbed over onto his lap again.

"Shut up Alec," she whispered into his ear before sticking her tongue into it. 

She can even make 'Shut up' sound sexy he thought relieved she wasn't pissed of with him. 

Groaning he leaned his ear into her mouth and started to undo her pants. Still nuzzling his ear, he felt her hands at his waist trying to undo his belt. Fumbling impatiently she sat back on him so she could see what she was doing. 

Oh god I love heat he thought, watching her absorbed face as she tugged eagerly at his belt, trying to get into his pants as quickly as possible. Smiling triumphantly she finally got her hand inside and clasped around his throbbing erection. Groaning he moved into her hand. 

She liked the feel of him warm and hard and silky_,_ she thought stroking her hand up his hard length watching his eyes close and his head fall back. Leaning forward she ran her tongue up his now exposed throat. When she held him, she could feel him throbbing in her hand and it was so sexy the sounds he made and the way he moved into her hand.

Alec lost in the sensations of her hand moving on him and her mouth sucking on his neck felt her move into him rubbing her body against his, offering herself to him and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her again. If he couldn't have her heart, he could at least have this, she was eager for this, eager for his touch.

Threading his hand through her hair he angled her head and dipping his he covered her mouth his tongue caressing hers as he held her tight against him her breasts pressed against his chest his hands stroking up her back. His mouth hot and demanding, hers answering in kind.

Gasping for air she slanted her mouth off his trying to calm her racing heart, impatiently his mouth followed hers claiming it again in another electrifying kiss. 

Her head hazy and her body throbbing with desire she gave herself up to the pounding excitement of his hands and mouth on her body clinging to the warm solid strength of him. 

She could feel his impatience and it matched her own. Hands quickly on the hem of his shirt, she tore it up his body and pulled it over his head, his lips hot and demanding immediately back on hers. 

She wanted their clothes off, wanted nothing between his body and hers moaning, and frustrated she pushed him off her and scrambled off the bed. Hurriedly pushing her pants and her panties down her legs she wiggled to get them off quickly, glancing at him, she noticed him distractedly watching her instead of removing his clothes.

"Yours too, off. " she demanded impatiently.

He watched her raptly as she hastily scrambled back down beside him, naked now kneeling on the bed urgently unfastening his boots. Pulling them off she grabbed his pants as he pushed them down his legs and quickly pulled them off. 

Moving quickly back up the bed she swung her leg over his lap he grabbed her hips pulling her tight against him his erection pressed between their bodies her breasts soft and full against him. 

Rubbing herself against him she slid her hands between their moving bodies slid them slowly across the ridges of his abs feeling them flex involuntarily as she moved over him, licking along his collarbone arching against him she slid her hands slowly up his chest and around his neck. 

Hand in his hair she pulled his head back to better access his mouth her eyes caught his and she stopped arrested, green eyes stared openly into brown and she watched the play of emotions behind them as he stared back at her. Her eyes fell quickly to his mouth, her original destination before darting rapidly back to mesh with his again. 

During the first part of her heat he'd recognized her driving need to just have him inside her, his own hormones had demanded the same. He had let her set the pace mostly fast and frenzied, it was different now she was still in heat but it felt less compulsive, he could take his time, enjoy her. 

Something feels different_,_ she thought searching his face for what had changed she stared back at him hesitantly.

His eyes roamed her suddenly uncertain face and her eyes fell away before returning shyly to his.

Max shy_,_ he thought, grinning incredulously, over the first two days of her heat they'd had each other in every which way it was possible and now she was shy of him. Still grinning his hand in her hair he pulled her head down and sealed her mouth with his her hungry response was immediate, he absorbed it kissing her gently tentatively seeking the new rhythm he wanted from her. 

She responded her kiss gentling as she sighed into his mouth, he kept kissing her until she was relaxed and boneless in his arms, still kissing her he slid them down the bed until she was lying on her back. 

She felt heat pooling hot and aching between her legs, his long slow languid kisses were sapping her strength she felt drugged, boneless her mind hazy and floating. 

He heard her groan of discontent when he finally slid his mouth off hers, leaning over her taking in her flushed cheeks, tangled hair, swollen lips and languorous eyes. For now she's mine_, _he thought, with satisfaction. 

Breathing in her scent, he cupped her breast his fingers rubbing her nipple as he kissed and sucked his way down her neck to her other nipple. Pleased when he found it already swollen in anticipation, he heard her soft gasp as he lazily circled it with his tongue. 

Max blissfully ran her hands through his hair as she held his mouth to her breast.

"That's good I like that," she panted moaning as she pushed her breast up into his mouth. I know you like it Maxie I like it too he thought with satisfaction. Her pleasure and the heady smell of her desire were intoxicating he felt another rush of blood to his groin. Still massaging one nipple with his fingers he suckled the other one. 

Max awash in sensation felt his tongue slide down her body, tensing in anticipation as she felt his hot breathe and the swirl of his tongue as he circled her navel, the gentle scrape of his teeth as he sucked it, she arched up into his mouth.

Her hands holding his head Alec felt her tense and lift her hips to him as he moved down her body.

"Yes, yes I like that," she moaned.

"What do you like Max?" he asked turning sideways to look at her as he kissed her thigh.

Moaning she opened her legs for him, bending her leg aside he kissed along her inner thigh.

"This?" he asked his voice deep his eyes on her as sucked her thigh.

"Alec, pleeeease," she moaned as he continued to tease her.

She felt him lick slowly, torturously along her inner thing moving closer to where she wanted him, she gasped and jerked her hips as his mouth finally found her and she felt his tongue lap across her sensitive nerves. 

She could feel his warm breath on her, the wet heat of his mouth as he teased and tantalized her before finally settling his mouth over her sensitive bundle of nerves. Mindless with pleasure she moaned and withered as he licked and sucked her. Everything receded her only focus his lips and tongue, his hot breath on her sensitive flesh. 

Alec tried to hold her withering hips still, her taste and her smell filled his senses as he tasted sucked and teased her. She moaned thrusting her hips up to bring herself closer as she cupped his head holding him to her. He slipped his finger inside her as his mouth and tongue continued to push her towards release. 

He could feel her muscles start to spasm around his finger as her body started to jerk, and she came shuddering and screaming his name, he continued to lick her through it until he felt the tension leave her body.

Running his hand along the length of her thigh he moved her leg to his waist as he knelt between her legs she immediately circled him with her other leg. 

She felt him lean over her and closed her eyes anticipating his thrust into her body instead he slid his arms under her shoulders and lifted her off the bed. Their bodies now flush eye to eye he slowly moved his hips and lowered her until he was deep inside her hard and throbbing.

"Two days in heat without you has been torture," she whispered her warm breathe in his ear as she rested immobile on him squeezing him inside her, enjoying the feeling of him sheathed inside her again. His body warm and hard under hers, his strong arms around her holding her close, her breasts pushed against his chest, his mouth wet and warm as he sucked her neck she arched in his arms as he started to move.

Alec his body on fire for her heard her words and knew that he had never felt better than this.  He slid his hands up her back into her hair and pulled her hard down onto him as he thrust up into her. Straining into her he could hear her panting, feel her inner muscles clamping down around him their bodies slick and sweaty as he move into her.

"Harder, Alec faster," she moaned into his ear he could feel his control unraveling as she became more frenzied, he loved her like this wild and frantic for release, wanting him as much as he wanted her. 

Still moving into her he laid her back down on the bed, picking up speed he pounded into her as she clung to him whimpering into his shoulder. He could feel the first tremors start to move through her, felt her bite down into his shoulder, he angled her head and covered her mouth with his as he pushed harder into her. He felt her muscles contracting around him as she shuddered and gasped beneath him.

Max could feel his tension feel the muscles in his back bunching as she clung to him. She heard his low guttural grunt as she lost herself in wave after wave of pleasure.

Arms around him she held his still shaking body on top of hers. He was hot and heavy and slick with sweat, she could feel his heavy, warm breath on her neck and she didn't want to move. When he tried to roll off her she wouldn't let him go.

"I'm too heavy," his voice was low and deep.

"No I like it," she whispered licking the sweat off his shoulder as she stroked his sweat damp back_. _She liked it a lot, she thought blissfully.

Arms around her he finally rolled to his side taking her with him she lay contentedly in his arms sucking along his collarbone as he kissed her neck. 

"Is it always like this between X5's?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, its always better…we're stronger we've got more stamina, humans can't keep up with us. We're better matched with each other," he answered, his lips on her ear his voice low and deep making her shiver.

"But it's never been like this for me before." He added as he kissed his way down her neck.

"Because I'm in heat? 

Pulling back enough to see her face his eyes roamed over her, she looked flushed her hair was tangled and her eyes languid and content. She smiled lazily at him. Here like this she's mine, he thought contentedly, bending he lightly brushed his lips across hers. Maybe this along with the baby will be enough to keep her with me.__

"No it'll be the same when you're not in heat you and I are good together. That won't change when your heat finishes." He watched carefully for her reaction.

She appeared to think about it. At least she didn't laugh at the idea of him and her together after her heat. Hadn't dismissed it out of hand, he reasoned. Her gentle licking and nibbling of his collarbone was becoming distracting.

She knew he was right she'd never been as hot for anyone as she was for him. It wasn't just the heat, when he touched her, her body came alive, everything else faded from focus it had never been like that for her before. Yes, it would be just as good with him when she wasn't in heat and she felt both relieved and ridiculously pleased that he felt the same. 

Moving back a bit she looked up into his face their gazes locked as he stared back at her she felt his hand on her face and his thumb stroking her cheek. 

His eyes dropped from hers to her lips still swollen from his kisses, dipping his head he kissed her sliding his tongue into her mouth as he pulled her closer and her world hazily spun out of focus.

TBC

Please Review


	9. Chapter 9 Rated R

Thank you to teegs for Betaring

**Chapter Nine**

"Hey guys," Biggs greeted them as Alec followed Max into the living room the next morning. "Have a good night, get lots of sleep?" he asked smirking.

Alec yawned tiredly he had been making love to Max most of the night, in fact he'd have been lucky to have had two hours sleep. Obviously Biggs and Cece hadn't gotten much sleep either, Max was not a quietly appreciative lover he thought gazing fondly at her before returning Biggs smirk.

"Hey Cece," Max replied, ignoring Biggs. 

"Do you want me to tell Normal you won't be in for a few days, that your gonna be busy?" Biggs asked suggestively, smirking at Max. 

Cece glared at him. 

"What?" he asked her innocently.

"Yeah thanks that'll be good," Alec replied. "We'll head back to my place when you guys go to work."

"Were going back to your place?" Max asked, her voice sweet, eyes wide, as she gazed at him adoringly. "Okay, I'll go get my stuff," smiling widely at him she scrambled eagerly off her chair.

There was an uncomfortable silence as she left the room. Biggs his mouth agape glanced sideways at Alec. Cece embarrassed for Max fiddled with her spoon and said nothing.

"Man…I can't wait for Cece's heat," Biggs said finally, exhaling loudly. 

"If you let anyone else see me when I'm like that. It'll be your first and last heat," Cece threatened, glaring at him.

"Oh come on Cece, she's not that bad," Alec defended her. "Its kind of sweet really."

"Yeah sweet," Biggs echoed wistfully. "I can't wait," he repeated gleefully. 

Cece reaching over smacked him across the back of his head.

Alec did think an adoring and sweet emotional Max was cute in fact he was thoroughly enjoying her. But he knew without a doubt that like Cece her preference would be that nobody else saw her like this.

Leaving TC with Biggs and Cece proved to be a very good way of ensuring this. Walking purposefully together made it harder for their curious friends to stop and engage them in conversation. Cece perfunctorily dealt with the really nosy, persistent ones, who managed anyway. 

With Max glued anxiously to his side holding his hand in both of hers Alec would have found it difficult to get her out of there on his own, without offending people.

Finally they reached their bikes and after a teary emotional goodbye from Max parted company with Cece and Biggs.

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Locking the door Alec walked into his living room and threw his keys onto the coffee table. All he wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a week. Well not that long he didn't want to miss any more of her heat than he already but a couple of hours would be good he thought, yawning tiredly.

"I'm tired too," she said, catching his yawn. "Lets go to bed."

Laughing he pulled her into his arms, "Who'd have thought a week ago, Max, that you'd be all keen and eager to get into my bed." 

She regarded him seriously, looking his face over thoughtfully while he smirked back at her.

"Anybody, who wasn't blind Alec," she finally decided, smirking right back at him.

"What…your not saying I'm hot, are you Max?" he asked taken aback. God I love heat! He thought hugging her happily and laughing into her hair.

"Lets go to bed," she said, hugging him back. "I really am tired."

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They'd gone to bed but the minute he'd climbed in beside her naked and warm and sexy, she'd wanted him again, all thoughts of how tired she was gone from her head. She couldn't seem to get enough of him and he hadn't been kidding when he used to tell her he was 'always ready' she thought laughing silently as she remembered how many times he had proven that truth over the last few days.

He'd made love to her for most of the day. She couldn't remember how many times he'd left her trembling and sated before he'd finally kissed her one last time, tucked her against his side and exhausted they had drifted off to sleep. 

She'd woken up still wrapped around him and had extricated herself needing some distance. It was dark outside and she'd been awake for a while now she was still tied, could do with some more sleep, but she needed to think.

She was still in heat but her hormone levels were dropping. Working them through her body with Alec had definitely helped. Turning her head on the pillow to look at him, she replayed him through her mind.He really was an incredible lover he could make her body throb, ache for him with just a touch. She thought sighing.

She'd never felt attraction or passion like this before. She just couldn't deny the rightness of being with him over her Heat. He'd made it a pleasure he had enabled her to find joy and satisfaction in something that with humans had made her feel nothing but disgust for herself. She owed him something for that she thought uneasily, but what, where did they go from here?

This heat had changed everything. Her life had been messy and confusing enough before. Now there wasn't just Logan, there was Alec and the baby as well. How was she going to look after a baby she could barely look after herself? What if she couldn't protect it from White?

What am I supposed to do about Alec and Logan? she fretted, becoming more distressed and feeling even worse as she felt tears start to clog her throat and run down her face. I can't even control my crying, she thought helplessly. How can I decide about other people's lives?she agonized panic-stricken and now sobbing.

Alec jerking awake realized she was crying again and rolled her back into his arms, "Shh Max," he whispered, sleepily patting her back. "Shh it's just the hormones. Go back to sleep," he added drowsily into her hair his eyes already starting to close again. 

"Not everything's my hormones Alec," she said angrily, pushing him off her and migrating back to the other side of the bed.

Alec awake now sniffed discreetly. Yeah, still hormones he thought. 

"Okay Max," he agreed soothingly from his side of the bed. "Umm what's wrong then?" he asked cautiously.

"Everything's wrong," she sobbed. "You, Me, the baby, Logan! It's all wrong and I don't know what to do." 

Logan's the only thing wrong with that picture he reflected cynically, reaching for her again.

"Get off me Alec," she said, batting his hands away. "Sex isn't the answer to everything you know."

"No Max," he agreed calmly back on his side of the bed again. "I wasn't offering you sex," he added quietly. 

She sobbed into the silence.

He tried to reach for her again she batted his hands away. 

"It's all your fault anyway." She was sobbing hard now.

"I'm sorry, Max," he said, reaching out without thinking. Checking, he jerked his hand back. "I know I should have used something it was the heat…" He trailed off as he remembered the hazy, frenzy of the first part of her heat and how impossibly far from his mind contraception had been.

"Not that," she sobbed.

"Well what then?" he asked bewildered.

"Your fault for confusing me for ffor changing things, mixing everything up so I don't know how I fffeel about you anymore," she sobbed.

Stunned Alec just stared at her. If she was confused because she didn't know how she felt about him this meant her feelings had changed, he had a chance, he was an option, okay a confusing one but he was in the running he realized euphorically. 

Moving over to her, disregarding her attempt to push him off he pulled her into his arms. "Its alright Max you don't have to decide anything when you're like this," he whispered holding her and kissing her ear. "When your heat is over you'll know what to do," he assured her kissing the trail of tears on her cheek as she sobbed into his chest.

"What if I don't Alec, what then?" she asked, pulling back to look up at him fearfully.

He stared back down at her. Then we'll be back to the stalemate of the past year only with more complications. Max didn't have a great track record for making these sorts of decisions he realized with dread, his thought on the weird non-relationship she'd conducted with Logan even before the virus.

"You won't leave me if I don't know what to do will you Alec?" She asked tremulously her eyes pleading and once again full of tears.

Alec stared back at her. Shit, shit he didn't want to do this now when she's like this he thought in panic.__

"Let's not worry about it now, there'll be plenty of time after your heat to sort things out. There's not much of it left and you should be enjoying it while you can," he said, leaning in to kiss her. 

She put her fingers on his lips stopping him. His eyes caught hers. "Wwhat did you say Alec," she asked.

"I said you should be enjoying what's left of your heat," he repeated.

"Yes I thought that's what you said," she agreed smiling beatifically at him.

He stared back at her puzzled, uncertainly he leaned in to kiss her again. Again she stopped him with her fingers on his lips. 

"Alec I want you to know that whatever happens I won't ever regret this heat. It has been enjoyable with you…I've loved it at least the bits you were here for. I've never felt like that about heat before, ever," she finished quietly.

"You've never enjoyed heat before," he echoed incredulously. "How is that possible?" he asked in disbelief, "Our DNA is programmed to enjoy it."

"Well I didn't I dreaded it, hated it," she said emphatically, "It made me feel dirty, disgusting and frustrated."

"I'm sorry Max," he said, rolling onto his back and pulling her against his side. He didn't know what else to say to her. Frustrated he could maybe understand, keeping Max satisfied would definitely take another Transgenic, but dirty and disgusting he couldn't fathom.

Maybe sex along with the baby will be enough to keep her with me_._ He thought hopefully.

"I've loved it too Max," he said rubbing his cheek on the top of her head. "It's been the best heat I've ever had too," he added smirking.

"It's the only heat you've ever had," she replied exasperatedly, pinching his side.

"Well the best sex then," he laughed into her hair.

"Really?" she asked angling her head on his shoulder so she could see him.

"Yeah, really," he answered honestly, his eyes intent on hers.

She thought about it. Throughout her heat he had been the one making love to her. She had really mostly reacted off what he was doing to her. She had every reason to feel satisfied but did he she wondered. Had she actually done anything to make it as good for him as it had been for her? I don't think so_,_ she realized frowning.

Her eyes roamed his face lighting on his mouth unconsciously she moistened her top lip with her tongue her eyes darting to his. Alec's eyes flicked from her suddenly thoughtful eyes to her tongue as it touched her lip and he felt an instant ache of desire for her. 

Leaning over he bent to kiss her only to find her hand in the middle of his chest pushing him backward onto the bed. Surprised he watched her warily. Moving into his side she stroked her bent leg up his body as she pressed herself against him. Leaning in she ran her tongue over his bottom lip, before catching it gently between her teeth and sucking on it. 

Immediately she felt one of his hands in her hair his fingers gently massaging her scalp as the other hand stroked the curve of her spine her eyes closed in pleasure. There's the reason she realized blinking to clear her head, he distracts me I can't concentrate.

Kissing across to his ear she covered it with her mouth, "Stop touching me you're distracting me," she breathed into his ear as she snaked her tongue around it. She felt him shiver. His hand was still in her hair but he stopped stroking her. 

Sucking his earlobe and stroking her fingers in lazy circles across the taunt velvety skin of his abdomen she felt him sigh and his body relax. Sucking and nipping down his neck she closed her mouth over the hollow at the base of his throat and sucked. Alec dazedly closed his eyes soaking up the sensations. He groaned as her hot, wet mouth moved down and circled his nipple her tongue playing over first one then the other. 

Max hearing him groan and feeling him respond to her grew more confident. Trailing her tongue down the flat planes and rounded curves of his chest she sucked and nipped across the ridges of his abs. She felt his involuntary shiver as she settled her mouth over his navel and sucked. 

Swinging herself over him she rubbed her breasts against his thighs as she continued to suck his navel. His hands were moving in her hair again as he held her head on him. Kissing her way down to his groin she sat back on his thighs her eyes on his as she encircled his arousal squeezing as she ran her hand up his hard silken length. She felt him jerk in her hand.

Breathing hard he looked down his body at her. She watched his eyes flutter closed and heard him groan as she closed her hand around the head. Holding him in the circle of her hand she could feel him pulse as she started to move her hand on him.

"Max you're killing me," he moaned his voice deep and guttural.

She liked making him hot like this she thought smiling in satisfaction. Moving her hand further down his erection she leaned over and closed her mouth over the head feeling his involuntarily jerk of pleasure. His eyes tangled with hers, she sucked him swirling her tongue around the head as she watched his eyes glaze and he jerked up into her mouth. Running her tongue down the full length of him and up again she sucked him back into her mouth. 

Watching her cheeks hollow as she sucked him Alec's world narrowed to Max the fire in his blood and the rhythm of her hot wet mouth sliding up and down on him. Breaking eye contact she moved her mouth down on him until he was deep in her throat. She heard his quick intake of breathe and felt his stomach hollow as he jerked his hips and his hands tightened in her hair.

Looking down at her head moving on him he could feel sensation pooling in his groin and felt himself starting to loose control. Max felt his hands in her hair trying to move her off him she ignored him and continued her rhythm until she heard him groan and felt the wet hot surge of him into her mouth. He tastes good too she thought her eyes once again meshed with his.

Alec completely enthralled his body still shaking from his climax his eyes locked with hers watched her throat move as she swallowed and gazing boldly at him began to crawl back up his body.

Max heard his fierce low sound and felt him grab her upper arms and urge her up. Smoldering brown eyes stared into fiery green as she rubbed her nipples against his hard chest as she came up his body. Momentarily closing her eyes she savoured the delicious friction, his laboured breathing making her smile in satisfaction. 

His hand rough and urgent he pulled her head down and sealed her mouth with his. At the same time his tongue snaked possessively into her mouth he pulled her hips down on him and she felt the tip of his arousal nudge her eager opening. 'Always ready' she reminded herself as she felt him thrust up into her.

Pulling her mouth off his she rose to her knees and sank slowly down taking him deeper until he was buried to the hilt. Feeling his hands tight on her waist, closing her eyes she arched her back and began to move on him. Alec jerking her waist down as he thrust up into her watched her flushed intent face as she rode him.

"Faster Alec," she moaned as she arched above him, still inside her, he pulled her down and rolled her under him, she immediately locked her legs around his waist. Clinging to him she closed her eyes as all sensation concentrated at the throbbing apex of her thighs. Max mindless with pleasure moaned and whimpered into his shoulder as he continued to pound relentlessly into her. Alec feeling her start to clench around him pumped into her riding her through her climax. 

Feeling her body relax against him he slowed his movements down. Moving more slowly he leaned down and kissed her snaking his tongue into her mouth. Max feeling the dual friction of her breasts rubbing against his chest his erection moving in her body felt need reignite. Locking her arms around his neck she covered his ear with her mouth and thrust her tongue into it mimicking his thrusts into her body she could feel him start to go wild above her and responded in kind.

Alec still driving into her slid his hand between their bodies and his finger found her sensitive bud she gasped jerking in his arms as her release hit her instantaneously and hard. She could feel herself contracting around him as he continued to pump into her. Renewing her attention to his ear she felt his body shudder into her as he buried his face in the curve of her neck and groaning released his seed into her.

Exhausted feeling boneless, satiated, beyond content he looked down at her nestled against his side, her head cradled on his shoulder as she traced his collarbone with her finger. 

Nothing in his life had ever felt as right as being here with her now like this. When he was with her he felt a sense of closeness and connection a sense of rightness and peace. Every joining of his body to hers deepened that connection. He wouldn't, couldn't give her up. 

"Max."

Her drowsy, content eyes swung to his.

"You knew that when I said I wanted the baby I was asking you to be my mate didn't you?"

"We can still have a baby without being mates?" she answered sleepily.

Silence.

"Your body's gone all tight and tense, it's uncomfortable," she complained petulantly. 

Silence.

He could feel her wriggling agitatedly against him trying to get comfortable, sighing he pulled her into him consciously trying to relax his body again as he closed his arms possessively around her.

"That's much better," she mumbled.

He was still awake staring at the ceiling long after she was peacefully asleep.

TBC

Please review


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you Teegs for the betaring

**Chapter Ten**

His eyes snapped open he could hear banging and shouting. Logan again he groaned. Fuck! What is his problem? Alec thought angrily his eyes quickly darting to Max's anxious, shocked face.

He looked at her eyebrow raised. She shook her head emphatically and pulling the sheet around her upper body moved into the middle of the bed as he swung out and looked around for his jeans.

The banging was getting louder. "What the hell is his deal? Can't he knock like a normal person? Does he have to bang the fucking door down?" Alec snapped angrily.

She watched him pull on his jeans. "It's not his fault Alec, hhe doesn't understand," she said tremulously.

"Yeah, yeah I know, Max, I know," sighing as he ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sssorry Alec," she sobbed.

"Don't be, it's not your fault," he said adamantly his eyes swinging helplessly from Max in the middle of his bed, tears streaming down her cheeks back to Logan and his noise. Fuck, he thought stomping into his living room, fuck, he thought, as he worked the locks on his door, fuckhe thought, as he opened the door. 

Logan angrily banging and calling for Max stopped disconcerted when he saw Alec. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed his bare footed jean clad body. Alec suffered his disdainful perusal without comment.

She'd been gone for days now. At first he'd thought Alec was just guarding her while she was in heat. That had made him angry enough, he didn't like her around Alec. He didn't trust him. Alec might think nobody else knew how he felt about Max but I know, Logan thought disgustedly. 

After his first visit when Alec had been so protective of her and so fucking rude to him he had suspected he was doing much more than just guarding her.

Now confronted with a partially clad Alec he knew exactly what had been going on. His bodies a fucking map of what they're been doing, he thought furiously, running his eyes over the marks on Alec's body. Even his stomach he thought disgustedly. They had some fucking explaining to do. If she thought he was buying 'it was my heat I couldn't help it' then she was sadly mistaken. 

He'd swallowed that shit once before because he hadn't really known the guy, but this was different this time it was with Alec. Why the hell would she want that unreliable, untrustworthy, womanizing socio- path, I'm so much better for her than that,he thought self righteously, unease stirring as his eyes ran involuntarily over Alec. 

It's just the virus, if he could touch her she wouldn't be here with Alec he reassured himself, already starting to feel better. We can get through this. Once she understood how angry he was they would establish some ground rules around her heat. The first one being that she has nothing more to do with Alec. We can move on from this he assured himself his mind already busy thinking about how she could make this up to him.

"Go home Logan she still isn't ready to see you yet," Alec quietly, interrupted his thoughts.

"I've had enough of this, Alec, I want to see her now," he spat back furiously. "OC tells me you've got her here again. I don't know what the hell is going on, what you people think your playing at keeping her from me?"

"Nothing is going on Logan. She just doesn't want to see you yet. When she does then she knows where to find you."

"Get her now Alec," he demanded imperiously.

Alec knowing Max could hear Logan and hearing her sob louder tried to contain his anger. 

"Max is fine Logan just go home when she's ready she'll contact you," he replied, closing the door his patience exhausted.

Logan stuck his food in the door. 

Alec looked down at it incredulously. Opening the door wide he stepped out into the hall and grabbed Logan by the throat squeezing his windpipe. "Listen Logan," he said softly, "Right now the only thing that's stopping me beating the shit out of you is that it will only upset Max more than your coming here already has. Now I'm not gonna tell you again she doesn't want to see you." he repeated, his eyes hard the muscle in his jaw ticking.

"Alec, what are you doing?" Max asked anxiously from inside the apartment.

"Ah nothing Max," he said quickly releasing Logan's throat.

Stepping back into the apartment he looked her tear stained face over anxiously. Logan quickly collecting himself and taking advantage of Alec's distraction sidled into the apartment.

"Max you've been crying," Logan said accusingly.

"I knew he was lying about you not wanting to see me," he added triumphantly, sneering at Alec. Pulling a gun out of the back of his pants he motioned Max over to him. Alec stared at the gun Logan was pointing at him dumbfounded. _This fucker has definitely got a death wish._

Max could feel Alec getting ready to move.

"No Alec," she ordered sharply.

"Its okay Max. He's powerless now I'm here," Logan said pompously. "I'm taking you out of here. Go and put some clothes on," he ordered. His marks are all over her too he realized disdainfully eyeing her neck before contemptuously dropping his gaze to what was obviously Alec's tee-shirt.

Catching his look Max's mood rocketed from anxious to enraged. 

"Stay where you are Logan!" she snapped as he began to edge toward her his eyes and the gun on Alec. 

"Its all right, Max just come here,' he said, still moving toward her. 

"I told you to stay put," she said angrily sensing Alec on the other side of her angry and bristling and getting ready to move.

Shocked at her tone Logan stopped and looked at her.

"Who the hell do you think you are to burst in here waving a gun after being asked to leave," she raged.

"Now Max…" he flustered indignantly.

"Alec told you I didn't want to see you because at the moment I don't, OC told you the same but you disregarded both of them and pushed your way into their homes."

"Now Max…"

"And now you're back again," she raged on. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look?" 

"Alec could have that gun off you and your neck snapped before you knew what hit you."

Alec grinning from ear to ear looked over at Logan yep he looks ridiculous all right standing there his gun at half-mast gaping and blustering at her. Oh god I love Heat Alec thought, beaming at a now scowling Logan.

"Now Max……"

"I don't want to hear it Logan. Now take your gun and go," she stomped over to the door and flung it open.

Still grinning from ear to ear Alec watched Logan gather his dignity about him and stalk indignantly past her.

She slammed the door after him.

"What are you grinning at Alec," she snapped.

"Nothing Max, how about some food huh, I'm starved."

She burst into tears.

"It's all right don't cry it doesn't have to be pizza," he said putting his arms around her and patting her back. She pinched his side but he could hear her crying turn to spluttering and then she was laughing into his chest.

"He did look ridiculous didn't he?" she giggled hugging him.

Max giggling and laughing and about how ridiculous Logan looked. Alec peered delightedly down at her. 

"Yeah he did," he agreed laughing with her.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" she asked suddenly serious "I've never spoken to him like that before."

Mores the pity Alec thought. The arrogant bastard could do with some more of it.__

"Sure Max just explain it was your heat I'm sure he'll understand," he suggested, struggling unsuccessfully to keep a straight face.

She pinched him again much harder.

"I'm going to have a bath I was going to let you share it, but I'm not now," she huffed. 

"You can have yours after me."

"You're very wiffy," she added, slamming the bathroom door on him.

"Fuck."

Pizza it is then. And I'm not wiffy, he thought indignantly, sniffing his underarm experimentally.

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"I don't like pizza," she sulked as she ate her third slice. 

Alec bent over the pizza box shovelling his sixth slice down, eyes transfixed on the TV, grunted something unintelligible at her.

She glanced over at him in irritation. Eyes drawn to his bare back as he bent over his food she watched in interest as even the small movements of eating caused the muscles to flex and move. He even eats energetically, she thought thinking about his fidgeting and inability to concentrate on anything for longer than five minutes. Except me, she congratulated herself smiling contentedly her irritation gone.

"Alec.'' 

Riveted on the TV he didn't react.

"Alec." she repeated more sharply. 

Oblivious he continued to stare at the TV.

"Alec!" she snapped louder.

Still eating he swung around his eyes questioning. Not really having anything in particular to say just wanting his attention back on her she cast about for something, anything.

"Your such a pig you've eaten all of yours and half of mine you'll be sick if your not careful."

Rolling his eyes he turned his attention back to the TV and continued eating.

Scrunched sulkily in the corner of the couch her thoughts drifted off to think about what had happened when Logan had arrived demanding she go with him. She thought about how Alec had gone without question, uncomplaining to deal with her problem and had had a gun waved at him for his trouble. She knew how angry he had been and how badly he had wanted to forcibly remove Logan and his gun but hadn't because it would have upset her. She thought about Logan…

"Max."

Pulled away from her thoughts she stared at him blankly. He had finished eating had cleared away the debris and was now sitting beside her eyebrow raised quizzically.

"What?"

"I asked what you wanted to watch," he said, gesturing at the TV with the remote.

"Oh umm you choose," she said moving across the couch to settle herself under his arm against his side, he looked at her surprised, his expression moving to startled when she smiled sweetly back at him. 

Giggling she snuggled against him. This is so nice she thought sighing as she settled herself more comfortably against his warm solid chest. She could feel his smooth satiny skin under her cheek the steady thud of his heart in her ear. His scent was all around her a heady combination of soap, and the unique smell that was purely Alec now overlaid with her own smell. 

She loved her own smell on him it reminded her of her siblings when they were young that similar safe pack smell. It reminded her of how she used to feel with Zack and the others, like she was part of something and not on her own. She had only started to realize how much she'd missed that since Alec had come into her life. She liked the feeling that if she let her guard down he was there protecting her back just like her siblings had been. She could rely on him trust him like she could themshe reflected. 

He'd been there for her over her heat not just sexually but emotionally. He'd understood what she had needed and had provided it for her. She'dprobably need him while she was pregnant too and when the babies born. It was incredibly reassuring to know that she could rely on him trust him to be there for her.__

Alec, his arms full of warm contented Max couldn't have been happier. This is special he thought. When he was a kid and wondered what it would be like to be part of a family, to have people who he cared about and who cared about him, this is kinda how he'd imagined it would feel, he remembered, his cheek on the top of her head as he gazed sightlessly a the TV. 

A week ago he couldn't have envisioned being here like this Max curled up at his side just watching TV. It's so enjoyable he thought playing with her hair. Just having her close and content to be here with him, was nearly as enjoyable as making love to her.This last thought bought a self-depreciating grimace. With other women when he'd done the deed he couldn't wait to get away. With Max its different, pulling her tighter into him he looked down at her hand lying on his stomach fiddling absentmindedly with the button on his jeans, he needed her like this as much as her wanted her sexually.

"Alec?"

"What Max?"

"Why do you want to be my mate?"

_Fuck_

Alec felt his warm and mellow mood dissolve into thin air. 

Silence.

"Alec?"

"I want to help you look after the baby, Max," he blurted panic stricken.

"Ooh," she answered quietly, suddenly feeling flat and sad and not knowing why.

He watched her hand withdraw from his stomach and felt like snatching it back he felt the rest of her body preparing to withdraw as well.

"I need to know your both okay, seems like the best way to do that," he added in dismay.

"Okay," she answered brightly. "I'm really tired gonna go to bed," extracting herself from him she stood up.

"Max," he grabbed her hand as she moved away.

"Nite Alec," coolly she pulled her hand out off his and turned quickly towards the bedroom.

_I'm not gonna cry she told herself as she walked away I'm not gonna fucking cry._  She made it inside the bedroom before the tears started. What did you want him to say you idiot. That you were his soul mate…that he loved you and couldn't live without you. Of course it's because of the baby she thought confusedly crying all the harder.

Great, just great you fucking idiot. Alec reproved himself disgustedly.

He could hear her trying to muffle her sobs. She had never tried to pretend she wasn't crying before this made him feel even worse. He knew he should have said more but she had taken him by surprise, caught him off guard, scared him.

Fidgeting outside the door he tried to decide what to do. Just go in and act normal he finally decided. He could hear her trying to swallow her sobs as he quickly stripped his jeans off.

She turned her back on him and moved away as he got into the bed.

Reaching out he gently rubbed her back. "Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

"I'm fine I'm just sad," she sobbed.

He closed his arms around her from behind a warm reassuring, comforting embrace. 

"What are you sad about Maxie?" he asked gently into her ear, relieved when he felt her lean back into him.

"About everything you, me, the baby, Joshua all of us. What if we can't keep it safe Alec eeverybody wants to kkill us. Mmaybe it would be best to have an abortion," she sobbed.

He felt his heart constrict. "I don't want that Max. Do you?" he asked, pulling her more tightly against him his cheek resting on her neck.

"No but I'm sscared." 

So am I, petrified he thought. Rolling onto his back he pulled her against him, "We will keep it safe Max we trained for years to protect ourselves. What sort of soldiers would we be if we couldn't protect our own families?" 

What sort of transgenic would he be if he couldn't protect his own, he asked himself as he stroked her hair back from her face. You'll both be safehe vowed silently, his face suddenly grim. Nobody's hurting what's mine again.__

Hugging his waist she sobbed into his chest. "You don't really want a baby Alec. You're just trying to make the best of a bad deal tthats just you," she stammered. 

His heart heavy he thought about how much was at stake how much depended on what he said now. He really didn't intend for Logan to raise his child nor would he let Max go without a fight. He thought about how to tell her how much she meant to him.

He had to make her understand that he did want her and the baby but he wanted, needed to be more than just confusing thoughts in her head more than just a possible option, before he trusted her with the fact he loved her. 

Hand under her chin angling her head so he could see her he cleared his throat nervously. "I do want it Max, I want the baby and I want you as my mate," he repeated, his eyes locked with hers. "Your heat has proven you and I are good together even without the baby I would still want you," he said, hoping it would be enough.

She frowned disbelievingly, "You're just saying that to make me feel better. You have a different woman every night you like it like that. Why would you want to settle down with me and a baby?" she sniffed into his chest.

Does she really believe I prefer a parade of nameless, meaningless women? he wondered incredulously. "No Max I'm saying it cause it's what I want you, me and the baby. There haven't been that many women either," he added defensively.

She raised her eyebrow skeptically, "Alec your bedroom practically has a revolving door."

He couldn't help laughing, "I don't belong with them, Max. I belong with my own kind. You're the only family I've ever had you and now the baby, you're what I want," he promised huskily.

Her eyes roamed his lean strong features absorbing the heart-stopping smile now curving his full sensual mouth. Yes, she realized with a surge of confusing emotion, somehow through everything, they had become family, Alec like Joshua was part of her new family. 

His eyes dropped to her lips she saw the flare of hunger as they darted back to hers. Excitement fired her blood even before his mouth claimed hers. The gentle invasion of his tongue sent her senses spinning. He kissed her long and slow, sweet and deep his lips moving on hers his taste invading her senses she heard herself moan as he pulled away.

"You're not in heat anymore Max," he said huskily.

"I know."

His eyes roamed her flushed cheeks lingering on her lush mouth.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked hoarsely. He watched her long dark eyelashes brush her cheek as she blinked languidly at him.

"No," she whispered pulling his head back down to her.

TBC

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	11. Chapter 11

Thank You teegs for betaring

**Chapter Eleven**

He had been wrong when he had said it would be just as good between them after her heat. For her it had been better free of the confusion of heat. She'd been even more aware of him and better able to just concentrate on the frantic excitement the heady rush of need and desire his touch ignited. Until Alec she hadn't imagined it was possible for a man to make her feel like this. 

She recalled all the pleasure he had lavished on her. His soft words, his tenderness as he had made love to her well into the night until finally kissing her gently. He had told her to go to sleep she needed plenty of rest now. But he had been the one to fall asleep and she lain there in thrall to her confusing emotions and the unfamiliar content happiness she was feeling.

Smiling softly she watched him as he slept her thoughtful eyes on the lush darkness of his lashes, the strong angles of his face and his full sensual mouth. Not wanting to wake him she suppressed the urge to touch him, to brush back a stray strand of his untidy silky hair, to trace the curve of his lip with her finger.

He looks so innocent when he's asleep and in some ways he is innocent she realized thinking about his juvenile, reactive behaviour when Manticore had first burned. He's really only been out in the world a year. She'd been out for ten and sometimes she still don't cope very well she still had trouble with some the things he did in some ways they were so alike, she mused.__

Her heat had muddled everything up. The passion and acceptance she had found with Alec was undeniable and now she had all these unexpected confusing new feelings for him. Thoughts and feelings bombarded her as she tried to sift through the jumble. 

Logan loved her and was already deeply hurt and angry about what she'd done with Alec but they could probably still sort it out, but not if she was sleeping with Alec. 

Alec was simpler he wanted to continue having sex with her and wanted to be there for the baby. She wanted sex with Alec but didn't want to give up Logan. Whilst Alec would probably agree unfortunately Logan wouldn't, sighing her eyes once again on Alec. 

_Threat_

Snapping awake he reached for his gun with one hand as he rolled her against him with the other, his eyes scanning the darkness for the threat. 

She watched his eyes snap open, feral, dangerous eyes. Shocked, bewildered she felt him pull her against him as he reached for his gun and the world exploded around her.

The fact that he already had his gun in his hand when White's men abseiled through his window enabling him to shoot the first man before he got a shot off, saved his own life. That he had rolled Max away from where the second man emptied his clip before Alec shot him between the eyes saved hers. The third man had time to dive for cover and Alec missed him as he thrust Max behind him and backed out his bedroom door. 

Unfortunately White's men had just kicked there way through his front door and were now in his living room. He heard the clicks of their guns engaging, his transgenic hearing telling them how many guns and their positions in the room.

_Hopeless._

He was trapped in his bedroom doorway his back to White with Max behind him in the line of fire.

Whites harsh voice cut the silence. "Don't move! I've got a glock trained right on the centre of her pretty back make a right mess of it at this range. Drop the gun, now," he demanded.

Slowly Alec lowered the gun to the floor. "Don't shoot I'm just gonna turn around," he turned slowly he still had his hand in Max's and as he turned he maneuvered her behind him, she went without resistance.

She was now behind him back to the wall blocked from their view at least, although that was the least of their worries. They were seriously fucked. Seven of Whites men counting the one who'd just come out of the bedroom and he now had no gun. His eyes dropped to his gun where it lay on the floor, even if he could get to it the chances of being able to take out seven of them, in this small space with nowhere to run where fucking infinitesimal. 

"And to think you told me it was just a summer fling 494. I certainly wasn't expecting such an illustrious score tonight. When we got the call, about two males brawling in a hall one with a barcode, I never for a moment thought of you 494 and to net 452 as well it is indeed my lucky night," White congratulated himself smugly. "Chain them and bring them," he ordered turning away.

"Yeah, yeah give us a chance to get our clothes on," Alec said, moving sideways towards his bedroom door. He heard the metallic clicks of six guns mechanisms. He stopped moving.

"Bring them like that," White bit out.

Bastard, Alec thought, feeling Max's grip on his hand tighten. "It's early, lots of people about White. You walk us out of here naked and its gonna attract a lot of attention. Come on, a naked women, especially one that looks like Max its more trouble than it's worth just to embarrass her," he added.

"Get them some clothes," White ground out.

As Whites men rummaged about in his room for their clothes Alec signed into Max's hand for her to be ready and then he signed towards the bedroom door. He put his clothes on fast and signed against her thigh for her to hold her position. Casually he moved his body away from hers so she was visible, she'd understood and didn't move back behind him. As he'd known they would, all eyes in the room swung to a still partially undressed Max. Men, we are so fucking predictable, unobtrusively he angled his body so he could see into the bedroom and out the window. 

His night vision zeroed in on the ropes Whites men had left, still dangling attached to the building opposite. Fucking sloppy operationhe thought disgustedly, as he glanced quickly around his bedroom locating the guns of the men he had killed. His eyes back on the window he scoped the distance between the two buildings. He knew he could make it but could Max? 

There wasn't any other way, once White got chains on them they were fucked. He waited listening until she had enough clothing on, pulling her in front of him they dove as one for the door. 

Grunting as a bullet ripped into the back of his shoulder, he slammed the door shut. The flimsy walls were no barrier to the hail of automatic gunfire and the bullets ploughed through. Grabbing one of the abandoned guns he followed Max to the windowsill looking at her enquiringly, she grinned okay. He grinned back at her and she launched herself out the window, he saw her grab a rope and start to pull herself up as he followed her out.

His shoulder was killing him and his ascent was slower than hers was. Whites men were shooting at them from the bedroom window but they didn't have transgenic night vision and once the shooting started the lights had gone off in both buildings and it was now pitch black. Max waited for him and he went first onto the roof gun in hand. White had nobody there. Idiot he thought, quickly detaching the ropes and the cleats that held them.

Racing to the other side of the building he attached one of the ropes and they abseiled across to another building. Leaping where they could and using the remaining ropes when they couldn't they quickly made there was across the rooftops. 

White would have to be bloody lucky to pick the building we come out of he told himself as they made their way down the stairs. Gun in hand he cautiously open the door into the street. No white he thought surveying the street. Now to find a vehicle to get them back to TC. They found a bike not a very good one but good enough to get them back without incident.

_]_

"Looks like it's back to Biggs and Cece's tonight," he said as he parked the bike. She didn't say anything in fact she hadn't said anything since they'd found the bike taking her hand he peered at her.

"You okay?"

"Mmm, she replied nodding her head her eyes huge her mood subdued.

She didn't look okay but she wasn't hit and they were alive so whatever it was he figured it could wait. His shoulder was hurting like fuck and it was making him feel sick.

TBC

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	12. Chapter 12 Rated R

Thank you Teegs for the betaring

**Chapter Twelve**

It was late Biggs and Cece were probably asleep but they needed a place to stay and Biggs did a pretty good field dressing as he remembered. 

Biggs groaned when he opened the door. "I thought I was gonna get some sleep tonight," he whined, rolling his eyes as he stood aside to let them in. 

"Cece asleep?" 

"Yeah," Biggs laughed. "She sleeps like an ordinary, nothing wakes her."

"We need to stay another night. White found my place tonight and TC is the safest place for us at the moment."

He looked down at Max standing quiet and dejected beside him. "Why don't you go to bed, Max, I'll be there after Biggs has fixed my shoulder?" He eased his arm out of his jacket. Biggs moved behind him to have a look at it.

"Your shoulder, what's wrong with your shoulder?" startled, she moved quickly behind him to look.

Now his jacket was off she could see the wound there was a lot of blood, no exit point she realized moving round the front, bullets got to be still in there, right in the muscle by the joint, must be painful and will be worst when it's dug out.

He must have been hit as they went through the bedroom door and she didn't even notice she thought guiltily. "Why didn't you tell me Alec?" she moaned, feeling even worse when she remembered how he'd held her weight as they swung across the rooftops.

He looked at her in surprise. "Didn't think to," he shrugged. "No point, there was nothing we could do about it until we got back here, " he pulled out a chair and sat down. Before she had a chance to think about helping him he grabbed his tee shirt by the back of the neck and grimacing pulled it quickly over his head and up his arms.

"I can do it," she offered, wanting to do something to help, she grabbed a swab as Biggs set out the Med Kit.

"Nah, its all right Max I've done this for him a few times, I'll do it." 

"Go to bed Max you look really tired. It won't take long." Alec looked her tired tense face over with concern.

"No I'll wait," she said quietly, feeling useless she moved a chair close to his and sat down to watch Biggs work.

"How many times has Biggs had to patch you up?" she asked hoping to divert him from the pain.

"A few times can't remember." 

"About five, six times," Biggs answered.

Max looked at Alec in surprise. "That's a lot of times to be shot?" He's either incredibly careless or he's seen a lot of action, somehow she didn't think he was careless, she shivered remembering his eyes before Whites men came thought the window and what had happened afterwards.

"He's been injured more than that," Biggs said matter of factly. "Those were just field dressings I did."

More than that, just how much action had they seen? she wondered. She heard his hiss of pain as Biggs started to dig into his shoulder for the bullet. Leaning into him she leant her forehead against his uninjured shoulder. Her gesture surprised him but it's comforting he thought as he stroked her hair and tried to block out the pain. 

As Biggs worked she thought about how little she actually knew about their lives at Manticore. She hadn't wanted to know, had dismissed the thought of anything to do with Manticore as evil. She'd been so arrogant and dismissive about so many things she hadn't properly understood.

Alec's eyes and his response when White had cornered them in his apartment had forced her to think about where Manticore training ended and Transgenic instincts started. She couldn't get the picture of his eyes from my mind. She remembered those eyes from her first kill, the time her unit had tracked and killed that prisoner Lydecker had sent them after. They'd all had those eyes that day she remembered miserably. Frowning she felt him flinch as Biggs dug deeper into his shoulder.

The pain was making him light headed and nauseous, the bullet was deep and Biggs was finding it difficult to get a grip on it. Not one of his more successful doctoring attempts Alec reflected humourlessly. Having Max there was helping, distracting him from the pain. Her cheek was against his upper arm and she was rubbing his stomach. It was incredibly soothing and comforting. He'd never had anyone try to comfort him like this when he was in pain before. That Max would want to do that for him made him feel that he mattered to her. He didn't begrudge a little pain for that.

Breathing a heart felt sigh of relief Max watched as Biggs finally withdrew the tweezers the bullet grasped between the points. It had taken too long, and must have been excruciating.  Alec was ashen faced and his forehead was sweaty. 

"Do you think he'll need some blood?" she asked anxiously. 

"Nah he'll be fine. He's lost a bit, but not enough to be transfused. He'll be a lot better after a good nights sleep." Biggs replied, smoothing on a dressing.

"Thanks Biggs." Alec got slowly to his feet. He glanced over at Max she looked dead on her feet, her face tight and strained. Her heat should have been spent safe and secluded not like this_, _he thought disgustedly. No wonder she looks so exhausted. 

Earlier after her heat had finished and she'd still wanted him he'd been blissfully hopeful that she was going to accept him as her mate everything had felt so right between them but now he could sense how fragile and confused she was. 

"Come on Max let's go to bed you look dead on your feet." 

She frowned anxiously at him "Alec I…"

Suddenly afraid he knew what she was going to say, desperate to stave off the inevitable, he put his finger on her lips.

"Its late Max I feel like crap. Let's just go to bed huh? We can talk in the morning." Taking her hand he moved toward the door relieved when she followed. As long as she's still in my bed its not over he told himself.

"Are you okay?" She hovered anxiously as he sat heavily on the bed.

"Yeah, fine just really tired." 

Kneeling down she started to undo his boots. "I can do it I'm all right, its just a scratch," bending down he undid them himself.

Manticore taught him it was weakness to need help. It's nothing personal she told herself as she sat down beside him and watched as he took his boots off and then his clothes, her thoughts again in turmoil.

Finally naked he looked at her quizzically. Of their own accord her eyes ran up us body and she felt an instant flush of desire for him. He's injured for God's sakeshe told herself in disgust. Quickly jumping up she moved aside so he could get into the bed.

She saw him wince as he settled himself against the headboard. He'll probably be a lot more comfortable sleeping on his own, with that shoulder he won't want her plastered to his side. Flushing, she remembered how she had slept sprawled all over him during her heat.

She felt suddenly awkward as his wary eyes caught hers. "Um there's another room. I'll sleep in there it'll be more comfortable for you." She saw the flare of something in his eyes, just a glimpse, so quick she almost didn't catch it before he replaced it with that bland smiling mask he did so well. Surprised suddenly unsure she hovered in the doorway. He watched her standing uncomfortably by the door, he wanted her here not in the other room frantically he searched his brain for words to keep her there.

"Alec?" 

"What?" he asked eagerly seizing any opportunity to delay her leaving.

"Thanks."

_This is it…this is where she tells me thanks for the sex but I'll pass on the rest_ he braced himself for the inevitable.

"For what?" he asked unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

"For tonight, for saving me from White." She frowned not understanding his mood change.

It took a few seconds for her words to penetrate. When they did he just stared at her shocked. She's not dumping him he thought she's thanking him.

"That's okay Max anytime." Tiredly he closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very drained. 

She could see how tired he was. " Lie down," she moved to the bed. "You'll feel much better once you've had some sleep," her hand on his shoulder she urged him down. Grabbing her hand as he moved down the bed he pulled her down beside him. 

"Stay here Max, " he murmured into her hair pulling her close. "My shoulders fine." 

"You sure it won't be uncomfortable," pulling back she peered up at him.

"No, it's just a scratch I'm alright." 

He felt his tension start to ease as she settled herself beside him.

"Alec what was White talking about when he said two males were brawling in the hall?"

"I haven't the faintest idea, Max," he mumbled innocently into the top of her head.

She snorted into his chest as she slung her arm around his waist. Smiling he drifted off to sleep.

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She'd slept for a few hours and was now wide-awake. Had she been at home she would have gone for a ride on her baby, here, her only option was to lie there and think about all the confusing stuff her heat had raised. At least he's still asleep.  She felt his forehead again checking his temperature for the twentieth time that night.

"Hey," he blinked sleepily.

"How are you feeling?" 

"Okay a bit dry mouthed." 

"I'll get you a drink," she offered quickly springing up. 

"I can get it."

"Don't be stupid Alec! You're hurt, I'll get it for you," she sighed exasperated.

"So your heat's over," 

Distracted, she watched his throat move as he drank the water.

"I'm really sorry I fucked it all up Max."

"It wasn't fucked up it was just confusing. It took me by surprise it was so different. But it definitely wasn't fucked up, I enjoyed it." Smiling shyly her eyes darted away from his as she arranged herself on the bed beside him, her head propped on her hand. "What?" she demanded indignantly, watching his lips twitch as he tried to keep a straight face.

"Nothing Max."

He couldn't help it these little glimpses of shy Max were just so surprising. Hell she was surprising, different lighter, happier maybe he wondered searching her face, he couldn't put his finger on it exactly but she seemed different. He supposed a solid week of non-stop mind-blowing sex could do that for you_,_ he mused, complacently breaking into a full-blown grin.

"What's so funny Alec?" she huffed petulantly, pinching his side.

He grabbed her hand laughing, "Who'd have thought you'd admit to enjoying anything with me, Max, let alone sex."

He'd meant it lightly as a joke dismayed he watched her face tense and cloud, her lips forming an unhappy pout.

"I know I haven't been very nice to you sometimes," she mumbled, her eyes downcast. She thought about how hard he'd tried to fit into her world. OC, Joshua even Sketchy had told her that she needed to ease up on him, not be so judgemental and so contemptuous but she hadn't listened and had continued measuring him against standards that had no relevance to him, human standards. He couldn't winshe realized unhappily.

Alec angry with himself for ruining her mood racked his brain for something, anything to lighten it again.

"You can make it up to me with sex," he blurted, raising his eyebrows suggestively at her. 

The minute it was out of his mouth he wanted to call it back. Her eyes came back to his and she stared at him, his heart sinking he waited for a scathing barrage of abuse, dumbfounded he watched her face light with a radiant smile.

"I'll take that under advisement," mimicking him she raised her eyebrows suggestively. "I'll get back to you, " she added, still grinning.

Alec just stared at her astounded _I've got that parallel universe feeling again._ he grinned carefully back at her.

"I've been thinking about of a lot of things over the last week," she said suddenly serious again, vulnerable brown eyes gazed into green. "So much seems to have happened and I haven't sorted it all out yet. But I will," she promised, her eyes sliding nervously off his. "I just need time."

How much time? he wondered his face still, his expression bland as he stared back at her. 

"I've been thinking about when I was a child in Manticore. I remember the first time I killed. Lydecker sent my unit out to hunt this guy, we were hyped and scared, when we found him we literally tore him limb from limb. I remember my brothers and sisters eyes that day. In your apartment before those men came through the window, when you woke up your eyes were like my siblings eyes that day they didn't look human Alec they were scary, feral looking."

Frowning he waited for her to go on not sure of what she wanted from him. Max not sure what she wanted from him either stared back at him.

"My eyes aren't human Max," he said finally, "My instincts woke me, sometimes when I'm operating on my instincts before my training or my head has a chance to kick in, its maybe more obvious that I'm not human than at other times." 

He still had her hand in his, twining their fingers she moved into his side and she felt his arm go around her.

"I've been trying to block the memory of that killing from my mind for twelve years. Subconsciously I think I've always thought killing that man was as much a fault of my being Transgenic as it was of my Manticore training." 

Pulling her closer into him he gently stroked her hair. "You killed him because Manticore made you do it, Max, it wasn't about you being Transgenic and unable to control yourself. Manticore took away your choice."

Relaxing into him she closed her eyes thinking how good it was to be able to finally talk about this, to not have to hide it and to know that he understood. "I've always thought anything to do with Manticore was tainted but since my heat I've realized that sometimes I also disdain what's Transgenic because I've not been able to separate the two." 

"Distinguishing between what's Manticore what's Transgenic and what's instinctive is hard for all of us Max. We're all on a learning curve." 

Lost in thought again she was absently running her finger along his collarbone and it was starting to tickle. 

"So, how are the hormones?" He moved her hand down onto his stomach, "I can't smell heat anymore, but you still have a different smell."

"Probably pregnancy hormones," she answered absently.

Oh God_,_ now her hand was stroking his stomach, he felt blood starting to rush to his groin. He stilled her hand on him.

She looked quizzically up at him.

He grinned down at her.

"I'm going to get up, have a bath and maybe go over to Command and see what's been happening while we've been…" her head stumbled around for words.

"Fucking Max," he whispered into her ear, smirking.

"Yes…whatever Alec," she snapped, sitting up and huffily wrapping the sheet around her.

" I was going to ask you if you wanted to share my bath but…"

"Yes I do," he interrupted quickly, swinging out of bed, "I'm very wiffy," he smiled engagingly, hopefully at her.

Laughing softly she shuffled out of the room wrapped in her sheet. Alec followed naked behind her. Grinning smugly to himself he watched the rounded cheeks of her ass flexing through the thin material of the sheet as she swayed in front of him.

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She'd always loved hot baths, always thought nothing could be more decadent more hedonistic. That was until she'd had one with Alec wrapped around her,blissfully she leaned back against his chest. His kisses along her neck were turning into little nibbling bites she arched her neck to give him better access.

"How's your shoulder?" she moved her hand to his head to hold his mouth on her.

"Better," he breathed into the ear he was kissing, smiling when he felt her shiver.

"Good," she whispered, turning her head to nuzzle his throat. His eyes closed blissfully as she nibbled and sucked.

"I don't want to hurt you." She sighed into his ear her eyes drifting languidly closed as he stroked her stomach.

"Can't feel a thing." Moving her hair aside he kissed the back of her neck, she felt his hot breath as he nibbled and sucked her barcode before nibbling down her neck and gently biting the curve where it joined her shoulder.

"I love that," she moaned moving her shoulder closer into his mouth as his teeth gently grazed her neck. He slid his hand down her stomach through her soft silky curls and between her legs. Her hips jerked as his fingers moved through the swollen warm heat of her.

"This Max?" he breathed hotly into her ear the vibration from his deep voice making her shiver.

"All of it," she whispered, moving into his hand as she reached behind her and pulled his head down. Her gaze locked with his as she stroked her fingertips along the curve of his jaw urging him closer, his mouth opened hungrily over hers and his tongue stroked into her mouth caressing hers, his taste invading her senses. She closed her eyes oblivious to everything but the throbbing ache between her legs and Alec his strong warm chest pressed against her back his hands and his mouth on her turning her body liquid with excitement heat and need.

Her hand was on the side of his face holding his mouth on her, as she moved against his hand. She was rubbing her ass back against his erection, the friction was driving him crazy he could feel his control starting to slip, he needed to be inside her.

"Max," he whispered hoarsely into her mouth leaning forward his good arm around her waist as he lifted her, she moved her hips and he heard himself groan as she sank slowly down on him.

She loved that sound he made when he first entered her_._ She could feel him hard and deep and pulsing inside her the tip of him brushing her cervix, she tightened her muscles and squeezed and heard him groan low in his throat. Feeling him start to move up into her she slid down on him rotating her hips, he groaned again. She loved this too he seemed to be able to touch every place inside her.  She could feel the warm water lapping around them. 

Burying his face in the curve of her neck he cupped her breast in one hand his other hand back between her legs as he continued to move up into her setting the hard, fast pace he knew she liked. Closing her eyes her head fell back onto his shoulder his mouth immediately seeking the long length of her neck nipping and sucking as he thrust repeatedly into her.

She could feel his hand cupping and squeezing her breast as he pulled her nipple and his other hand was rubbing her swollen throbbing bundle of nerves. He pulled her tighter against him as her body started to shake and quiver and she moaned as her climax hit her, feeling her muscles tighten and grab around him he pumped wildly into her groaning her name, his teeth grazing her shoulder as he exploded into her.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his heaving chest his warm breath tickling her ear. Hand cradling her cheek he turned her face and tenderly nibbled her bottom lip before brushing his lips across hers quickly repeatedly, her eyes drifted closed dreamily. She loved the way he just couldn't seemed  to get enough of just kissing her. Every time he made love to her it made her want him more.  She would have thought that having made love with him so often now he would have less power to affect her not more. But that hadn't happened and didn't look like it would happen she mused drifting off to think about Logan…*

Every night she spent in his bed bound them closer. All he have to do was be patient and show her the advantages of being with him, she was his now and he intended to keep it that way. Uneasily he dismissed the thought that his growing possessiveness would make it so much harder if she didn't choose him.

"Do you think we woke Biggs up again?" she smirked up at him.

"Yep," he laughed.

"Good, give him something to smirk about," she giggled back.

If anybody had told him a week ago that Max would be happy and giggling and in his arms he'd have thought they were mad, smiling he tilted her chin up and bent to kiss her.

TBC

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	13. Chapter Thirteen

Thank you to Teegs for betaring

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Hey Boo, good to see you back! I've missed you," OC blurted delightedly, breezing over to Max's locker. "So how goes it?" she asked more soberly. "That heat crying thing over with?" She peered quizzically at Max.

"Yeah, my heats finished. I feel great, fine couldn't be better," she laughed, suddenly aware of how good she was feeling. "You coped alright without us?" she quipped, opening her locker.

Us…hmmm interesting OC thought looking her over. She's a lot happier than when she last saw her. In fact she's a lot happier than OC had ever seen her. She watched Max's smiling face as she delved in her locker "So where's your boy anyway?"

"He'll be in at lunch time, later shift." 

"What happened to 'he's not my boy'?" OC mimicked. "He's not!" Max frowned. "But well…" she trailed off unsure.

OC raised her eyebrow. "So you've been doing the wild thing with him all week, but he's still not your boy?"

"Its complicated OC we still haven't sorted everything out." Her eyes slid off OC's.

"By complicated you mean Logan."

"Yeah" She sighed.

"Are ya pregnant Boo?"

"Yes," she nodded, grinning. OC gazed back at her dumbfounded, pregnant and to Alec and grinning like the cat that swallowed the cream.

"Do ya wanna talk about it?" She hope she did cause she sure wanted to know what's going on OC thought to herself.

"Yeah tonight after work at home, Oh and OC would you mind if Alec stayed for a couple of days. White's found his place so he's got nowhere to crash,"

"Whatever ya want Boo," she agreed thinking this just gets weirder and weirder.

"Here comes Normal. Probably to fire your ass."

"Come on people bip bip times awasting packages awaiting,"

"Normal I was…"

"Don't want to hear it Missy Miss. Alec has already called in an explained, don't wanna hear it again,"

"Here's your first delivery don't dawdle."

OC looked at Max slack jawed, "Damn the hold that boy's got over him is getting down right worrisome." 

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She'd had a pretty good run and for some reason was still feeling on top of the world. Smiling and humming to herself she wheeled her bike into Jam Pony. He's early,her eyes caught and held Alec's. Leaning against the wall talking to Biggs he caught her scent before he saw her. Returning her infectious smile he was once again struck by how happy she seemed. It suddenly hit him what was different about her the guarded, wary look she always wore was gone. Philosophically he acknowledged his growing need to make sure she stayed happy and carefree like this.

"Hey, Max, wanna grab some lunch?" OC intercepted her as she headed across the room.

Leaning against the wall talking to Biggs, half his attention on Max, Alec scented Logan before he saw him. He knew the minute she sensed Logan, he watched her stiffen, her smiling relaxed face tense, her guarded expression back in place, her delicate shoulders squared as she turned to face him. Logan's gloved hand reached out to touch her cheek. 

Savage blinding rage hit him, he came of the wall in a blur of fury, Biggs anchored to his shoulder. "No Alec not here, and not now," he ground out, slamming him back against the wall. "He's an ordinary he doesn't understand how it is for us." Intent on Logan he shook Biggs off him, only to find Steve fastened to his other shoulder and someone else anchored around his throat. 

OC her eyes wide watched dumbfounded as Biggs and three other transgenic males wrestled and dragged a furious wild eyed, struggling Alec out of sight behind the lockers.

"What the hell, Max…?" she faltered turning, surprised to find Logan standing in front of them. She watched Max flinch away as Logan's gloved hand reached out again to touch her cheek. 

"I hoped I'd find you here Max. Why haven't you answered my pages?" he demanded more harshly, suddenly angry as she flinched from his touch. "Where's Alec?"

Where is Alec? she wondered anxiously looking around suddenly wishing he would appear. She felt Cece come and stand beside her and inexplicably felt calmer.

Everything felt wrong, the fact that he was here, his touching her, the way he spoke to her, taken aback she wondered if he had changed or was she just seeing him differently now, comparing him to Alec she wondered uncomfortably. Her eyes settled uneasily on Logan again, impatiently she wondered where Alec had disappeared. 

What the hell is all that banging coming from the lockers, there was definitely something up_,_ suspiciously her eyes narrowed as she watched two Transgenic males stationed at the entrance to the lockers blocking people from entering. Steve, Kat's mate come out of the lockers and headed over to them.

"Steve what the hell is happening over there?" she demanded irritably. 

"Nothing Max just the guys horsing around." He looked Logan over contemptuously. Alec was his friend and had been his CO. He didn't fucking well appreciated being forced to put his hands on him because this arrogant ordinary was to ignorant to realize Max was mated now and to keep his hands to himself.

Nor did he appreciate the cracked ribs he'd just acquired from Alec courtesy of this Fuck. Seeing him put his hand on Max had even pissed him off, he could imagine how Alec felt. If this stupid bastard were Transgenic he'd probably be dead by now. Not that another Transgenic male would be ignorant or bad mannered enough to interfere with someone else's mate. Time ordinary pricks like this learned you don't touch what isn't yours. But unfortunately not today, can't let Alec rip his head of in broad daylight in front of all these ordinaries. Ruin the sweet deal they had going here, scare the fuck out of them too.  Humourlessly he remembered the savage fights he'd seen when his kind fought for mates. 

Good, no Alec Logan gloated. He'd been right to come here instead of TC. Not that he would have been afraid to approach her in Terminal City most of them liked him there, knew he was Max's boyfriend and showed him the respect he deserved. Alec wasn't particularly well liked, so if it came to a showdown he was confident he'd be okay and with Max on his side Alec would have been the one in trouble. 

But he didn't want to talk to her in TC he would rather have her out of there, away from all of them, they were a bad influence. Distracting her from the Eyes Only work he needed her for. Just as important they were dragging her back down to their level jeopardising all the efforts she had made to become human. She didn't fit with maladjusted killers like Alec and mutants like Joshua and Mole. Sure it was okay, cute really that she wanted to help them, but it was time he helped her sort out her priorities. 

"You and I need to talk now, Max, my cars outside," Arrogantly he gestured with his head towards the street.

Max distracted, her thoughts on what was happening in the lockers and the likelihood that Alec would be in the thick of it, glanced impatiently at Logan.

"Max, My cars outside," Logan repeated grabbing her arm. His unwelcome touch surprised Max, but before she had a chance to react Steve was standing quietly between her and Logan and Logan's hand had gone from her arm. 

Enraged Logan glared at the Transgenic "Who the hell are you and what the hell do you think your doing? I'm so fucking sick of you people and your interference. Max I want to see you outside now,' he demanded.

Max surprised at his arrogant rudeness stared at him in shock.

"Not here and not now Logan," she returned finally. "But your right we have to talk and we will, tonight at my place."

"I'd prefer to do it now, Max." 

"To bad, I prefer tonight at my place at eight o'clock. Is Alec in the lockers Steve?" She dismissed Logan from her mind. 

He nodded his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Logan.

Logan watching her retreating back, enraged at his summary dismissal, started after her, only to find a cold eyed Steve barring his way. 

Psycho killers the whole fucking lot of them he raged as he stormed out of Jam Pony and over to his car. It's time she gave up that fucking job and got away from the whole murderous lot of them_._ His head down caught up in his thoughts, he wasn't aware of anyone following him until he felt a vice like grip on his neck and he was yanked into the alley beside Jam Pony.

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"Steve will sort it, Alec, you're not thinking straight." She heard Biggs's heavy breathing and laboured words as she turned into the lockers. 

They were in a huddle at the back of the lockers, five of them and Alec who was pinned to the floor. Tavis had his knee on his throat, Biggs and Todd each had a knee on his upper arms and one on each of his shoulders. Dex and Tony seemed to be hovering in general support. 

"What the hell is going on here? Let him up this minute," she demanded furiously. 

Alec got stiffly to his feet rubbing his throat and shaking his head. Fuck Steve has a powerful right hook_._ He glowered menacingly at the other Transgenics who had retreated warily over to Max and were now standing behind her.

"What the hell do you lot think you're playing at? Do you want to totally blow our cover here? You cannot fight amongst yourselves in public. What the hell were you thinking Alec? You know better than this," she stormed over banging him in the stomach. "Look at the state of all of you," she raged. "And you," she poked Biggs in the chest, looking disgustedly at his torn shirt collar. "I can even see your barcode. Alec, the back of your hair covers your barcode, give him your shirt," she snapped.

"Wwhat?" he spluttered indignantly, "I'm not giving him my shirt, it's my favourite shirt," 

"Give him your shirt now," she repeated, banging his stomach with the back of her hand for emphasis.

Scowling he pulled the shirt up his body and tossed it at Biggs who returning his scowl, caught it sniffing at it ungraciously.

"Now get back to what your supposed to be doing," she ordered turning, "And you Ale…"

Oh fuck she'd forgotten about those!Her eyes were riveted on his upper body and the still very visible marks she had left on him, blushing she heard them guffawing behind her. 

"Give him back his shirt Biggs."

"Nah, I think I better keep it, Max. Can't have anybody seeing my bar code now can we?" Moving the shirt to his other hand, out of her reach, he smirked as he sauntered past her, the others still sniggering followed him.

Alec, his adrenaline levels still high glowered angrily at her. "You need to decide what you're doing Max. Logan needs to be told what's happening. I need to know where I stand," sighing heavily, he ran his hand through his hair self consciously smoothing it down over his barcode.

Not him too she thought exasperated. "Look between you and Logan I'm starting to feel really pressured. I'll decide in my own time Alec and this isn't the place to have this discussion. Don't change the subject anyway what the hell was that all about."

He stared at her helplessly. Yeah that's a conversation he really wanted to have with her and in the middle of Jam Pony._ Well you see its like this Max my DNA makes me territorial and because it thinks you're my mate now, it had me on my way over to kill Logan because he touched your cheek. The guys just thought it wasn't such a good idea, hence the ruckus._

"Your right Max this isn't the place to discuss any of this, we've gotta get back to work. I managed to cover our asses with Normal for last week but his patience has limits."

He had a spare shirt in his locker but his locker was across the room from this set of lockers, It was lunchtime and the place was crowded. At least something useful can be salvaged from this he thought smirking, taking her by the hand he slowly made his way across the room. He could feel her trying to unobtrusively pull her hand out of his, ignoring the speculative looks he got from the women, he smirked back at the loud guffaws and appreciative comments of the guys. At least these ordinaries will get the message that she's now mine, he grinned satisfied.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Steve coming back through the main doors. Max furious at his public display and embarrassed that everybody could see what she had done to his body was seething by the time they reached their lockers.

"What the hell was that all about Alec?"

"What?" he answered innocently, delving into his locker for his spare shirt. "You're the one who gave my shirt away Max."

Speechless with indignation and fury she tried to punched him in the stomach but he grabbed her hand before she connected and pulled her into him. Rage flared, as he smelt Logan on her. Jerking her closer, eliminating all space between them he cupped her cheek in his hand. Her skin felt soft and smooth, her jaw small and delicate under his fingers. He gazed broodingly down at her. 

Uncertainty flickered in her eyes "Let me go Ale…"

"Shh," putting his finger on her lips his eyes locked with hers, he needed to erase Logan's touch remove all trace of his scent from her and imprint his own again. He tilted her chin and lowered his head quickly brushing her lips with his, he rubbed his cheek on hers trailing his lips across her face around to her mouth and pressed a kiss into the corner of her mouth, she gazed up at him puzzled.

"You had his smell on you. Now you have mine again." Decisively he pulled away, closed his locker and shrugged into his jacket. Bending he quickly kissed her cheek, "I'll see you at Crash after work." 

Still feeling the warm imprint of his lips on her cheek, confused, her emotions in turmoil, she watched him walk away.

TBC

Please Review

. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

This chapter was beta'd by Scarlet it is her I have to thank for all the lovely punctuation and grammar.

Chapter Fourteen  

Alec walked wearily into Crash. Being Normal's golden boy didn't come without its drawbacks, the principal one being that he had developed the habit of doing twice the amount of work as everybody else in the same amount of time. Today had been pretty hard going and it wasn't made easier by the fact that the earlier uproar must have opened the stitches in his shoulder. It had been hurting like hell all afternoon.

She's not here yet, he realized, his eyes scanning the crowd. The place was already pumping.  Going to be a good night, he reflected indifferently, wishing he was already home in bed, preferably with Max. Oh yeah. He didn't have a home or a bed and unfortunately Max would be all tucked up alone in hers tonight. 

Tiredly, he scanned the crowd for Biggs and the others. He needed to catch up with Steve and find out what had happened this afternoon. Biggs had said Steve was sorting it out, he knew how that would have gone. Logan would have been told in no uncertain terms that Max was Alec's mate now and off limits. He knew how angry she would be, he would be blamed for the interference. Another screw up, he thought, his earlier optimism that she was receptive to taking him as her mate gone.  Still, he couldn't complain.  At least Steve would have left Logan alive, he thought ruefully. Spotting Biggs, he made his way over to him.

"Hey, Biggs, mind if I crash at your place again for a couple of nights until I've sorted something out?" 

"Nah, you can stay as long as you like." He looked speculatively at Alec. "Look, man, it's none of my business but will Max be staying too?"

"No, this morning she told me she couldn't wait to get home," he grimaced ruefully at Biggs. 

"So you're not mated, then the ordinary is still a problem," Biggs frowned disbelievingly. "If I hadn't heard all the noise you two have created over the last two nights, I'd say you were seriously losing your touch."

"Yeah, well, she needs time to sort some things out," Alec replied defensively, "And yeah, it's not your business," he added warningly.

"It's just if she doesn't sort herself out soon it could be a bit of a problem for all of us."

"What?" Alec spluttered, bewildered.  He knew it was a problem for him, but what the hell did it have to do with anyone else?

"This afternoon when the ordinary left, Steve went after him to have a bit of a word," he raised his eyebrow eloquently. "But a couple of the guys got there first..."

"Shit, he's not dead, is he?" Alec interrupted with dread. 

"Nah, not dead, but he's a bit the worst for wear. He was okay to drive away once Steve helped him to his car, so it couldn't have been too bad," he added hopefully. 

"Who?" he demanded curtly.

"Tavis, with Todd on watch." 

"Tavis, fuck. Lucky for Logan Steve was close behind." 

Biggs nodded in agreement. 

"Tavis is all messed up over an X5 who won't give him the time of day, but who he thinks is interested in some ordinary. Todd just doesn't like our women with ordinaries, same as the rest of us, really. They thought they were helping you."

Flexing his sore shoulder, Alec's mind raced, he chose his words carefully. "The problem being then that Max's ability to influence things will be compromised if she doesn't mate with another Transgenic. Is that what you're saying?"

"If Max chooses the ordinary over you, a lot of Transgencis will hold that against her. Logan, isn't well liked and most resent him even coming to TC and consider him a security risk, but that's not the problem."  

Biggs looked at him speculatively. "Alec, you know the only real power Max has to influence anything comes from her association with you. Most of us like her and we respect the fact that she let us out of Manticore, but she doesn't know us and she doesn't have the training or experience to keep us alive out here. You are the highest-ranking officer here. We know you, we've fought with you, we trust you. You know us and you know what we need. You can keep us alive."

Alec's mind raced with all the implications.  Biggs was right X5s like Tavis need the systems, routine, stability and discipline that Manticore offered when if wasn't there they had nothing to ground them. Hell, they all needed it. They had been raised to be part of a group, their instincts predestined them to seek solace within the pack they needed the structure and security of that. He remembered after Manticore had burned how lost and alone he had felt until Max had taken him into her life.  Finding that line between Manticore and the human world, creating an environment that provided structure, discipline and support without the evil of Manticore was going to be the challenge.  

Biggs was right.  If this wasn't dealt with it would become a wider discipline problem, they might be a fledgling settlement at the moment, but their numbers were growing. They couldn't go against orders and act independently like this or there would be chaos. 

Max couldn't do what needed to be done here.  Even if she recognized the need, Tavis and Todd would not accept her authority. If he did this, though, he would be, in effect, assuming command. He didn't want it. What he would really like to do was just take Max and get the hell out of Seattle. Not much likelihood of that, though.  Even less now, once she finds out about Logan, he thought, resigned. 

Who was he kidding, anyway?  A year ago maybe he would have been able to leave, but not now.  Most of his original Unit were in TC.  All his friends. Tavis and Todd were both members of his Unit and his friends, he had a responsibility to them.

But if he did this, it wouldn't just be his own unit, he wouldn't just be helping out on the fringes he would be accepting the responsibility for all of them. He had known that inevitably someone would have to do that, as did Biggs and the whole of TC.  Everybody except Max, he thought uncomfortably.

"Where are they now?"

"We've made a temporary holding cell, they're waiting for you. You look like shit, Alec, let them stew until the morning.  You need to get that shoulder looked at."

Sensing Max, he turned and saw her and OC making their way to the bar. Watching her chatting with OC as she waited to buy her drink, he realized there was no real choice. For whatever reasons, he couldn't leave here. To make it safe for the baby, for her, for all of them, things had to be run right.  Whether Max liked it or not, they were soldiers.  Structure and discipline was all they knew. Just because Manticore had gone didn't eliminate that need and someone had to provide it. At the moment, he was the logical choice.

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He looks terrible, white faced, tired and drawn.  Her eye lighted on his drink, orange juice.  His shoulder must be bothering him again, she suddenly realized. Not surprising after that ridiculous incident earlier.

Remembering she was meeting Logan in an hour, she puzzled about what to do. She didn't want Alec at her place when she had her talk with Logan, but he needed his shoulder fixed and he didn't look like he was in any state to be sitting around here waiting for Logan to leave.

"Have you got your bike here, Max?"

"Yeah," she answered absently, still preoccupied.

"Okay, then you can get yourself home.  Biggs and I've gotta go now, we've got something we have to do."

Does he have no common sense whatsoever? she thought impatiently.  "It'll have to wait until morning.  You look like crap and I want to look at your shoulder." It's obvious he's nearly dead on his feet. She'd just have to worry about Logan later, she decided, sighing inwardly.

"It's okay, Max, my shoulder's fine." Her concern caught him by surprise he smiled at her, thinking how easily he could get used to it. 

It wasn't fine, it hurt like fuck, and he was feeling light headed and nauseous. But he needed to sort Tavis and Todd out tonight, he wasn't leaving them to stew, this wasn't Manticore. But he didn't want to leave Max this early either at least it would have been good to have been able to sit here with her a bit longer. Wearily, he got out of his chair. 

"I'll see you tomorrow at work." 

"What?" Suddenly panicked she realized that if she didn't act he would be gone in a minute. 

"But I thought you were stay..." OC trailed off as Max glared at her. 

She racked her brain for a reason to keep him there.  "Where are you going?" 

"To TC," he answered patiently, as they turned to go.

"I'll come with you, I can look at your shoulder there." Grabbing her jacket, she jumped up to follow them

"No, Max, Biggs will do it later. I've got something I have to do now on my own."

Something to do on his own, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I'm still coming," she repeated all the more determined.

Frustrated, he wracked his brain for an argument to dissuade her.

"Good idea, Max," Biggs agreed, coming to the rescue "You can sort the med kit out while we talk to the guys."

What guys? she wondered suspiciously, following them out of Crash.

Smirking OC watched her leave 'he's not my boy' she mimicked to herself.

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She had never seen him so coldly adamant.  Before, she'd always been able to make him do what she wanted. Furious, she watched him walk away. Just what the hell were they up to that was so secret? Trouble, if she knew Alec. Well, she wasn't going to wait here until everything was all messed up. 

There're a lot of people out tonight, she noticed absently. She joined a group of Freaks headed in the same direction Alec had taken.

Alec walking with Biggs, his mind still on Max's furious face, started to notice the freaks and X 's who seemed to be coming out of everywhere.  

"What the fuck."

"Words got out, they know you have to act on this and they're here, like me, hoping we'll get a Commanding Officer tonight," Biggs shrugged, his eyes serious as they met Alec's.

All right, he thought, reconciled.  If I'm going to do this, might as well do it right. "Bring them out here, we might as well let everyone see what's going on."

Max, caught up in the flow, now realized that something was up.  All of TC was out tonight. She didn't recognise any of the freaks or X's around her, but that wasn't surprising there were just too many new arrivals. They all seemed to know each other, though, no doubt old acquaintances from Manticore.  Forlornly, she stood on the outskirts of the crowd. 

Preoccupied with wondering what Alec could be up to, she hadn't been paying much attention to what was happening around her. Hearing his designation, she started to tune into what was being said.

It didn't take her long to discover that two X5's had beaten up an ordinary and they were about to be disciplined for it.

She heard 494 mentioned several times. Alec and Biggs, she thought furiously. I might have fucking well known. No wonder his shoulder is giving him trouble. But who the hell was to discipline them? she wondered, totally at a loss. Worried, she started to push her way towards the front.

No wonder the jerk didn't want me to come, she seethed.  She could see him now.  He was standing in the middle of the circle the crowd had formed.  She couldn't see Biggs yet, but no doubt he was there somewhere. Her eyes narrowed, watching Alec survey the crowd, apparently without a care in the world. 

Debating as to whether she should just barge right up and demand an explanation, an unfamiliar feeling of caution halted her. 

She wasn't unaware that his support had been significant in enabling her to take the leadership roll she had in TC. If he himself was in danger, she wasn't in a very strong position.  Better to wait and see what happened, see how it played out. Impatiently she scanned the crowd where the hell were their friends, the other members of their unit anyone who would help her if they needed help.

She could heard the mutterings about the Manticore punishment for disobeying orders, for acting on your own and apprehensively listened to people speculate as to whether that was going to happen here. Would they be shot? She could feel the agitation and speculation in the crowd.

Shocked and growing more fearful, she wondered who the hell had the power to bring everybody here for this?  Who had the power to make Alec and Biggs come here to be judged, why hadn't Alec told her there was such a person?

She spotted Joshua, Mole, Dix and the others at the same time she heard feet marching. The sound reverberating through her brain her memory plunged her back to when she was a child in Manticore she watched the circle part as Biggs, Kat, Steve and the rest of Alec's Unit marched into the centre. She knew that formation they were escorting members of their unit for punishment. It wasn't Alec or Biggs it was Todd and Tavis she realized at the same time they snapped to attention and saluted Alec.

What is he doing she agonized. Her horrified eyes fixed on Alec she stood frozen to the spot. The crowd had fallen silent, the agitation and uncertainty gone there was a universal squaring of shoulders as those around her straightened and stood taller. They need this, its familiar to them comforting she realized dispassionately.  

Alec watched in horror as they fanned out in formation and saluted him. His memory plunging him back to Manticore and the many times this same Unit had delivered him for punishment in this same manner.

Angrily, he shouted for them to stand down. Fuck knows what she made of that he thought at a loss his eyes going to the section of the crowd he sensed she was in. 

She ducked behind a large X5 as his eyes swept the crowd. At least he put an end to that horror, she felt some small comfort that it had obviously unnerved him as much as her. She watched him call Steve over. 

As Steve left the circle, Alec thought about what he had to say. 

Max, watching him think, realized how few times she had seen him without his trademark smirk or a smile of some sort on his face. Well, he didn't have a smile now.  In fact, his face was hard and serious.  He looked like Zack, in fact.  He looked like every CO she'd ever stood in front of.  Must be a universal face she reflected numbly.

She didn't bother to duck when his eyes swung to her.  There was no point, she had already sensed Steve at her back.

His eyes locked with hers before moving off and over the crowd. 

"Is that what you all want?  To recreate Manticore out here where you are free?" He wasn't shouting but his voice filled the quiet.

The silence was absolute.

"You all know the punishment for insubordination while at war is death. You have delivered them to me as Manticore delivered each and everyone of us here up for punishment. Is that what you expect to happen here, do you expect me to kill them?"

Silence.

"Do you expect me to kill them? Answer," he barked harshly into the silence. 

"No." They boomed as one back at him.

Thank the fuck for that, he thought as a wave of dizziness hit him. "What do you want from me here today, then?" Gesturing at his own Unit for silence, his eyes back on Max he waited for someone to answer. 

"We need a CO to lead this monkey's tea party. Its not working without one. Too many of us are dying. You're the highest ranking and we trust you. All those who wanna vote put up ya hands," Mole shouted.

He watched the hands rise. Unanimous, Max thought, as she raised her own hand. Alec watching her hand go up closed his eyes in relief.

Wearily, he gestured his acceptance. "Todd, Tavis confined to quarters.  Report to me in the morning. Everyone else go home." 

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," Todd and Tavis shot back in unison snapping into a salute.

"Why are you here Steve."

"He needs you to fix his shoulder, he said to make sure I said please."

Max, her eyes on the blood soaking the back of his jacket, started to push her way through the now moving crowd.

Don't thank me yet, you pricks, wait until you see what I've got in store for you for all the trouble you've caused me, Alec thought, watching Max and her thunderous face as she pushed her way through the crowd towards him.

TBC

Please Review


	15. Chapter Fifteen

This Chapter was again beta by Scarlet. So it has punctuation, grammar and proper tenses. Thankyou Scarlet!  
  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
Frowning, she watched him ease his jacket off.  
  
"How long has it been bleeding like that?"  
  
"Only a couple of hours."  
  
"Yeah right," she grimaced sceptically, as she set to work cleaning the wound.  
  
She hadn't spoken a word to him since she'd forcefully ordered him to come with her. He'd been expecting a torrent of recriminations and abuse. But she had surprised him again, saying nothing, and was, in fact only interested in getting his injury redressed.  
  
She had even sent Joshua off to find some local anaesthetic. When he'd told her it didn't matter it was only a scratch, she'd fixed him with her concerned brown eyes put her arm around his waist and told him it mattered to her. He hadn't really needed any help walking but never she'd never before showed this kind of concern for him, and he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy it, so he had put his arm across her shoulders and let her help him back to Biggs's.  
  
They'd attracted a fair amount of interest as they made their way through TC. Not surprising, really, everyone knew he wanted her as his mate, knew their was conflict with an ordinary. Feelings were strong about Transgenic survival, the universal mind-set was that if they were to survive and make a place for themselves in the human world then they had to stick to their own kind.  
  
They didn't want or need the help or interference of ordinaries. He knew how bad for general moral it would be if Max did choose Logan over him. Not to mention how he would feel if he were to lose her warmth and vibrancy from his life, and if he were to lose the opportunity of raising their child with her. He choked down the feeling of possessive rage he felt at the thought of her with anybody but him.  
  
He turned his head and their eyes collided and held before hers dropped back to the torn stitches she was easing out of him. Appreciatively he relished how much gentler her touch was than Biggs's whose doctoring whilst competent had never been gentle.  
  
Her silence was starting to make him feel edgy. Maybe she was quiet because she had made up her mind had definitely decided against him as her mate and just didn't care what he did.  
  
He glanced uneasily over his shoulder this time she didn't look up.  
  
"Why did you vote for me, why did you put your hand up Max?" he asked quietly.  
  
She was silent for so long he thought she wasn't going to answer. "They were only making official what you've been doing unofficially all along, weren't they Alec?"  
  
Wearily closing his eyes, he sighed, "It had to be done Max, they needed it and I was the highest ranking, somebody had to do it. But I haven't been doing it properly, I've been avoiding taking proper responsibility, I've been distracted." Yeah, distracted worrying about how you would feel about me taking command he reflected ruefully. "Mole was right too many of us are dying. Now it's my job to stop that."  
  
"How will you do that Alec," she asked apprehensively.  
  
"I way I was trained, anyway I can." he answered simply, his eyes hard and cold on the wall in front of him.  
  
Max looked quickly up, he was facing forward again so she couldn't see his face. How could I have ever thought he was a screw-up? Manticore only trained the cream of the cream to be ranked at all meant you were the best of the best and Alec had been ranked highest of all.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that you were Manticore's Top Dog? All those times I called you a screw up, and in the ring that time we fought, were you laughing at me?" She asked quietly, her hurt apparent.  
  
"You never asked me Max, it never came up, and it wasn't relevant out here in this world. Out here my skills were redundant anyway and sometimes I was a screw-up," he shrugged unapologetically. "Why would I laugh at you?" he asked, puzzled. "You took me into your life you helped me make sense of stuff I had no clue about. In the ring you wanted to fight me I didn't want to hurt you how else could it have ended?" again he shrugged.  
  
Max felt tears threatening she choked back the emotions threatening to spill over. She remembered how cruelly she had tried to dissuade him from becoming part of her life and how begrudging she had been of any help she had given him while he had given his freely. Leaning forward she put her hand on his back and slid it up his neck, he immediately turned and their eyes locked.  
  
"Alec I'm, I'm . Her eyes fell from his and he stared at the lush darkness of her lashes as they rested on her cheek "I want to, I .  
  
She still wasn't looking at him and seemed to be unsure as to what she wanted to say. But she was touching him and he didn't get the feeling she was going to dump him.  
  
"What Maxie?" he prompted gently.  
  
"Hey, Lil Fella Alec. Here's the pain killer, Max." Joshua burst noisily into the room.  
  
Her eyes touched his as they swung to Joshua and her hand fell from him. Sitting back she smiled at Joshua.  
  
Disappointed the moment was gone, Alec nodded in greeting to Joshua.  
  
" Thanks Big Fella, was it hard to get?" Max asked.  
  
"Hard to find, but once I did, easy to get, they happy to give for Alec."  
  
"So Max, Logan is okay, then? All better now?" Joshua asked brightly.  
  
Alec stiffened and felt his heart sink. Oh fuck, not now. Not before he had a chance to explain to tell her myself.  
  
"Logan's fine I'm meeting him later on tonight I've just left a message to change.Why Joshua?" Frowning, she suddenly wondered why he was asking.  
  
"Umm just wondering," Joshua stammered catching Alec's eye.  
  
"Um gotta go now. Bye, little Fella."  
  
Wait Joshua I wan."  
  
"Bye, little Fella," he repeated, rushing out the door.  
  
It was Logan she realized shocked. Logan was the ordinary Alec's unit, Alec's friends beat up, furious, she rounded on him.  
  
"How badly hurt was he?" she demanded coldly.  
  
"He could drive away, Steve was right behind them he stopped it quickly. I haven't debriefed them yet. I'm so-"  
  
"Don't you dare say your sorry, Alec, don't you dare." "This is your fault. They're in your Unit, they're your friends."  
  
The anaesthetic was working well he couldn't feel a thing as she restitched him but he could feel the anger reverberating off her in waves.  
  
" Max I'm sor-"  
  
"Shut up Alec," She spat through gritted teeth.  
  
Resigned, he felt her slap the dressing onto his shoulder, so much for gentle hands.  
  
"Hey guys." Biggs greeted, them coming in the door with Cece.  
  
"Hey Biggs, Cece, he needs some blood and I've got to go and check how badly hurt Logan is, you'll have to do it." Furiously, she slammed the medical kit closed.  
  
"Yeah, all right, Max." Biggs agreed, frowning looking from her to Alec.  
  
"Logan is okay, Tavis reckons he only got in a couple of body hits. At the worst, he's gonna have some broken ribs and maybe sore kidneys."  
  
"Yeah, well, I'd rather see for myself," she snapped back angrily.  
  
Unhappily Alec watched her shrug into her jacket. He didn't want her to go away angry like this. "I'm sorry Max," he tried again I didn't mean fo-"  
  
"What the hell are you sorry for, Alec? You haven't done anything." Cece interrupted in fury.  
  
"You didn't punch that stupid ordinary nor did you go around interfering with other peoples mates and pissing every body off."  
  
"Cece," Alec snapped warningly.  
  
Cece ignoring him eyed Max scornfully. "Yeah, that's right, you go and check on your obnoxious ordinary, Max."  
  
Shocked, indignant Max's eyes narrowed. "Logan is not obnoxious and of course its Alec's fault his friends assaulted him."  
  
"Its hardly Logan's," she added tartly. "It's none of your business, anyway. So butt the hell out," she spat back angrily.  
  
"Cece." I can-"  
  
"Shut up, Alec." Max snapped at him.  
  
Cece raged on furious. "There isn't anybody here who doesn't know how arrogant, patronizing and obnoxious Logan is. He would be dead many times over if Alec hadn't put a protection order on him. What the hell did you think was going on here tonight? They were being disciplined for breaking orders, not obeying them. Nobody ever wanted him here we tolerated him because Alec protected him."  
  
"Logan has been a big help with his contacts and his computer skills. He, he is helpful," Max stammered, suddenly uncertain.  
  
"Useful for what reminding us off what we left behind at Manticore?" Cece spat back furiously. "And as for his skills, oh, pleeeeeease there isn't a child here who isn't better trained and more able on a computer than that ordinary. And as for his contacts, we don't need them and we don't trust them and the same goes for him."  
  
"Are you so self involved you haven't even noticed what's happening here," she fumed. We have a male to female ratio of 3:1 and they are killing us like flies. There are guys here who know they will never be mated. Do you know how they feel when they see the few of us who have survived with human males?"  
  
"I understand what Tavis and Todd did we all do, Max, except you. You're the one who should be apologising, not Alec. You know nothing about anything and you're too disinterested and to arrogant to ask, your heat is a prime example of that."  
  
"That's none of your busin-"  
  
"Yeah it is my business, Max, it's all our business. Some of those guys who went after you were mated, how do you think their mates felt about that?"  
  
Alec listened numbly, understanding that to interfere would make it worse for her, he watched pain shoot across her face before she closed it down with the bland still mask she wore to disguise her vulnerability to mask when she was hurt.  
  
"Cece that's eno-"  
  
"Shut up, Biggs," Cece snapped.  
  
"Alec has nothing to apologise for. You've been trying to be human for so fucking long you somehow missed out on learning to be Transgenic."  
  
"Cece that's no-"  
  
"Shut up, Biggs."  
  
"You can try as hard as you like to ignore the Transgenic side, but your heat is still gonna come no matter how hard you pretend your human. Whose going to keep you satisfied then? We both know it won't be a human male. Alec won't be available, we'll have made sure he is well and truly mated with someone who appreciates him and knows how to treat him. He can have his pick here. There isn't a single female in TC who wouldn't jump at the chance of Alec for a mate."  
  
Max's pain filled eyes flicked to Alec's for a moment before they moved off him back to Cece.  
  
"Now Ce-"  
  
"Shut UP, Biggs."  
  
"So you run off and nurse your bruised ordinary. Yeah, Biggs will transfuse, Alec, we know how to look after our own. Even if you're too stupid to know who your own kind are." Bursting into tears, she slammed out of the room.  
  
There was a stunned silence. Tearing his eyes off Max, Alec glanced at Biggs. "Heat," they decided in unison.  
  
"Can't smell it yet but it must be her heat. Finally," Biggs gloated delightedly.  
  
Alec's eyes swung back to Max's small figure standing frozen and forlorn, the blank stoic face she used to hide her feelings didn't deceive him, he knew how Cece's words had hurt her.  
  
"Sorry Max," Biggs picked up the med kit and thrust it at her "you'll have to transfuse him yourself."  
  
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Alec. Oh and make our excuses to Normal for me will ya," smirking complacently, he went after Cece.  
  
Max had realized it was heat when Cece had burst into tears. She knew Cece would never normally have spoken to her like that. She would have only thought it, Max realized painfully. Oh, God, is that what they all think? Is that what Alec thinks of me?  
  
Feeling numb, immobilized, and unable to look at Alec, she stood in the middle of the room clutching the med kit. She heard him moving glancing over she saw he was trying to struggle into his jacket. Putting the med kit on the table she went quickly over and put her hand on his arm. Silently, she helped him off with the jacket again and got the tubing out to transfuse him.  
  
Head bent, eyes fastened on her blood as it flowed across the tubing into him she closed her eyes grateful at least to be able to do this for him. When had everything got so messed up for her? When had she become such a bitch? How could she have thought to leave him like this to go and check on Logan? That's just it she realized painfully she didn't think, she just reacted habitually like she always did and struck out at him without thinking, without caring. She struggled to suppress the tears suddenly clogging her throat.  
  
Alec looked down on her glossy head her fragile, narrow shoulders as she bent over their joined arms. He wanted to take her in his arms bury his face in her hair and tell her everything was okay, chase away her pain, kiss away her sadness see her smiling, happy and carefree like she had been earlier today but he could feel how contained and withdrawn from him she was and he was afraid she wouldn't welcome it.  
  
The transfusion finished she started to pack away the med kit. Finally finished her eyes quickly caught his before dropping away again, walking over to her he gently prised the kit out of her hands put his arm around her shoulders and turned her towards the door.  
  
"Its just her heat, Max, she didn't mean it. Come on, I'll walk you to your bike."  
  
Walking numbly beside him she could feel the warmth of his body against her side and around her shoulders where his arm rested. Feeling ashamed and inadequate her emotions numb, suddenly the only thing she wanted was to feel Alec's arms around her, hear him telling her everything was all right, comforting her making her feel safe and cherished like he had during her heat. Sliding her arm around his waist she turned into his chest, stopping him in his tracks, her other arm going around him under his jacket. He put his arms around her a warm, enveloping, comforting embrace.  
  
"She didn't mean it, Max." He murmured into her ear, " its just the heat. She's your friend, don't take it to heart."  
  
But its true isn't it, Alec?" she sobbed into his chest. Quietly, he stroked her hair.  
  
"It is. Isn't it, Alec." she repeated.  
  
"About Logan, you mean?" he asked carefully  
  
"No, about me not knowing, forgetting how to be Transgenic," she sobbed.  
  
You've been away from your own kind for a long time, Max, some things you don't know, but they're all things you'll learn once you start listening to your instincts again."  
  
"I don't want to be human, Alec. I want to be like you and everybody else." As she said it, Max realized how true it was. For so long she had been trying to fit in and belong in the human world. When had that turned into trying to be human? She didn't know, but she did know when she had started to realize how out of balance her life was. When she had connected up with her own kind again, when Alec had thrust himself into her life.  
  
"You are like me, Max. You and I are very alike," he smiled into her hair." "Why do you think we argue so much?" Why do you think we're so good together?" he asked, licking and kissing her ear, leaving her in no doubt as to how he thought they were good together.  
  
From the moment he had entered her life he had turned everything upside down, the instant attraction and affinity she'd felt for him had scared her. It had scared her how quickly he had become so integral to her life, her awareness of him had scared her, everything about him had scared her. Some things still do she realized, but that's part of his attraction that wildness in him that calls to something in me.  
  
Her fear had made her try to push him away had made her cling tenaciously to a silly fantasy of a non-existence relationship with Logan. Everything in her life may be confused at the moment but the one thing she was absolutely sure of is that she wanted him for her mate, wanted to stay with him. Cece was right he could have his pick. Anybody would be lucky to get him. Suppressing a flash of possessive anger at the thought of Alec with anybody else, she rubbed her cheek against his chest and tightened her arms around him.  
  
That's why she'd been so happy since her heat, because for the first time since the escape she was really back with her own kind. With him she was happy he understood her he knew what she needed without being told. It felt right to be with him. For the first time since being separated from her siblings she was part of something that fit her, she no longer felt like an alien.  
  
Holding her warm soft body he wished he had somewhere he could take her, lay her down and make love to her until she was happy and giggling again.  
  
But she was going to Logan's and this might be the last time he held her. He wanted to ask her if she had decided what she was going to do, but he didn't because he was afraid of the answer.  
  
"Let me send Kat with you to Logan's I don't want you going on your own, Max." Logan is angry, having Kat there will help to diffuse things." More to the point it will make it harder for him to browbeat and manipulate her, he thought angrily.  
  
"I'm not going to his place tonight, I'm tired and so are you, I just want us to go home."  
  
Taken aback, suddenly hopeful he tilted her chin up, "You want me to come with you to your place," he clarified slowly, searching her face, "So you don't blame me for Tavis working Logan over."  
  
"No, I know it wasn't your fault, I'm sorry," she leaned up and lightly touched her lips to his "will you forgive me?" Brushing his lips gently repeatedly with small kisses "can I make it up to you with sex?" she whispered. She felt him pull her closer into him and heard his deep voiced laugh in her ear.  
  
"Hell yes, Max."  
  
Hugging her delightedly hands on her ass he lifted her pulling her up his body, she locked her legs around his waist and put her arm around his neck, her hand on the side of his face she slanted her mouth over his, as he walked them to his bike.  
  
Straddling the bike with her straddling his lap he kick started it. She wrapped her arms round his waist and settled contentedly against him, nuzzling his neck as he pulled away from the curb. Feeling his thighs flex under hers as he moved into the ride, angling her head to give him better access to the ear he had his tongue in, she smiled happily to herself as she slid her hands possessively up his back.  
  
Beside himself with rage, Logan sat in his car outside her building. Bad enough that her scruffy, bad mannered flatmate had refused to let him wait in her apartment. But it was completely unacceptable for Max to postpone their talk until tomorrow. She could think again, what with her shit, plus Alec and his psycho cohorts he'd been through enough. She had a lot of explaining to do and he expected to hear her do it tonight.  
  
He'd wait all night if he had to. He watched with disinterest as a bike pulled up in front of her building. What the hell were they thinking? Irresponsible kids. How the fuck could he drive safely with her sitting on his lap like that? Disgusted, he watched Alec stand his mouth again devouring Max's her legs locked around his waist. He didn't realize who they were until Alec turned at the door and broke their kiss. His eyes locked in open challenge with Logan's. Max pulled his head back and sealed her mouth over his again as he pushed the door open with his back, turning with her he walked them into the building.  
  
Logan watched the door swinging on its hinges.  
  
TBC  
  
Now if your anything like me you've got to the bottom and you haven't found the smut. Your looked underneath but you still can't find it. Yes, well there is smut but it's in the next Chapter. This one would have been too long and anyway it fitted better in the context of the next one.  
  
Please Review  
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	16. Chapter Sixteen Rated R For Sexual Conte...

This Chapter was once again beta'd by the lovely Scarlet. Thankyou Scarlet!  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
With Max still twinned around him, Alec came out of the stairwell navigating blind. Max, still glued to his mouth, felt the impact of someone hitting her back.  
  
"What the hell." OC trailed off angrily.  
  
Breaking their kiss, Max turned her head quickly and was greeted by an incredulous drop jawed OC.  
  
"Alec, Boo," she sputtered, in shock. * Well, things are certainly moving along here.* Smirking, she watched Max detach her arms and legs from around Alec's body. Her smile widening she eyed Alec's hands on Max's ass as he reluctantly released his hold and let Max slide down his body.  
  
"Hey, OC," Alec greeted.  
  
"Hey, OC, thanks for giving Logan my message. Are you off out?" Max asked, her embarrassment obvious  
  
"Yeah, Max. Got a hot honey I'm staying with tonight so you've got the place to yourselves," she winked.  
  
OC glanced at Alec now standing quietly, his eyes intent on Max. He clearly didn't like that Max was embarrassed.  
  
Max confronted with OC's surprise, felt guilty that they hadn't had their talk. She knew how put out OC would be that she hadn't confided in her about Alec. This, combined with the reminder that she still had to break the news to Logan that she was now with Alec, and Max felt her exuberance quickly slipping away. Catching Alec's now sombre eye and not understanding what had happened to his good spirits either, she fumbled dejectedly for her key.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
She watched him standing at the window gazing broodingly into the street. "Is your shoulder alright," she asked anxiously, when he hadn't moved or said anything half and hour later. God, who would have thought she'd get so used to his talking that half an hour's silence from him would seem like a lifetime?  
  
He caught the thumbs up signal from the roof of the opposite building as the last member of his unit moved into place. Eyes scoping the darkness, he zeroed in on Logan still sitting out front of the building in his car, his binoculars trained on Max's building. *Just a sick fuck who doesn't know when to go home.* He didn't really think Logan would do anything to deliberately endanger Max, but who knew what a pissed of guy might do if they thought someone else was stealing their girlfriend. He wasn't risking another surprise nocturnal visit from White.  
  
Tomorrow he would see if he could coax Max into moving to TC. Maybe with the baby a consideration, he might get lucky. If not, then Todd and Tavis would be pulling a lot of extra night guard duty.  
  
"Yeah, its fine, I'm really tired. I think I'm just gonna have a shower and go to bed. Have you got another dressing if I get this one wet?"  
  
"Yeah. Don't use all the water. I'll have one after you," she answered, suddenly feeling like she wanted to cry.  
  
He came out of the shower ten minutes later, wrapped in a towel, and she changed his wet dressing.  
  
He'd been thinking about it all night. Seeing how embarrassed she'd been about OC to seeing them together, had made him realize that if she wasn't comfortable with her friends knowing about him, then she wasn't going to take him as her mate. Lying in her bed while he waited for her to finish her shower he thought how bittersweet being there was.  
  
Just over a week ago he would have given anything to be in her bed like this waiting for her. Tonight, at this moment, he would have given anything to be able to turn back the clock, for her heat. for none of this to have happened. For them to at least have their old antagonistic friendship still intact. At least then he would still have had the dream that one day, he and Max might have something together. Whereas, now he had nothing.  
  
He'd known that if she rejected him it would be painful, but this numb, choked feeling of desolation he had was worse than he'd imagined. He'd only once before in his life felt anything like this paralysing sense of loss. This was much worse. With this pain came a sense of failure so profound that he literally wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.  
  
He'd tried as hard as he could, over the last year, to fit into her world. In Manticore every thing he had ever done, he had been the best at, he had strived and trained to make himself the best. He didn't fail, he never failed. Within Manticores world he knew what was required, but out here it was different. He'd failed with Rachel and now with Max he'd failed again.  
  
She didn't mind screwing him, he was obviously good enough for that. Just not good enough to take as her mate he reflected bitterly, pain slicing through him. But his DNA wouldn't allow him to conduct that kind of relationship even if he wanted to. He was to territorial, to possessive. If she wasn't his mate, he had to start distancing himself from her.  
  
When she came out of the shower, he was still locked inside his thoughts. It was dark but the lights from the neighbouring building cast a warm glow over him as he lay on his side, the sheet around his waist and his head propped on his hand.  
  
Dropping her towel beside the bed, she got in beside him, tucking the sheet under her arm she arranged herself in the same position as him.  
  
"So what's up, Alec? Why has the guy who I can never usually shut up not had anything to say since we got home?" she asked him lightly, hoping to chase away his morose mood.  
  
"Why don't you like me, Max?" he asked, his deep voice sounded young and unsure, nothing like his usual cocky, confident self. It came out of the blue and it wasn't what she had been expected.  
  
Surprised and uncertain, she stared back at him. He met her gaze unwaveringly and his eyes, usually so guarded and wary, were vulnerable and filled with pain. Guilty and ashamed, she stared back at him, thinking about all the hurtful things she'd said and done to him. Things she'd justified by telling herself it didn't matter. It was only Alec and he didn't care.  
  
She reached over and cupped his cheek in her hand "I do like you, Alec."  
  
He moved his face away from her hand.  
  
"Don't lie to me Max, I've never lied to you. I want to know." His voice so young and vulnerable, that again, it took her by surprise. "I've tried my best to do things right. I know I got some things messed up at first, but I've changed. but still nothing I do is good enough for you."  
  
"I'm not good enough for you," he added softly, his thick dark lashes swept down for an instant before his gaze was once more steadfastly on hers "Why is that, Max? Is it's because I'm not Logan. Okay, I can understand that? Or is it because I'm Transgenic and not human? Or is it me, myself? Which is it, Max? Tell me I want to know."  
  
Pain sliced through her. All the things she was only just coming to terms with in her head, he already knew. He knew why she had treated him like she had and it had hurt him. It had really hurt him, she realized her eyes fixed on his expressive green eyes, for once totally open. Nothing hidden, nothing held back. Now, he needed her to fix it.  
  
How did she do that? She asked herself, panicked thoughts tumbling through her mind until reason prevailed. This was Alec. He'd always understood her, always been patient with her. He would be the same now. Less than a foot separated them on the bed, but it felt like a gulf. She didn't like the feeling of disconnection from him. The need to touch him warred with her fear that he would reject her touch again.  
  
"I'm Sorry, Alec, I'm so sorry for the way I have treated you I."  
  
"I don't want to hear that, Max that's not what I asked you. Tell me why I'm not good enough? Tell me? I want to know why I've failed?"  
  
Frowning, puzzled she searched his face. "Failed? How have you failed?"  
  
"Failed to be good enough, to make the grade, good enough to screw but not good enough to mate with," he answered angrily. "I want to know if it's because of something I've done or haven't done? Or if it's because of something I can't control? So tell me?" he demanded.  
  
He thought she'd decided to reject him as her mate, that's why he'd been so withdrawn and morose tonight. That he saw it in terms of a mission, success or failure, didn't surprise her. That was how they had been raised. You failed the mission you were flawed, inadequate. He had failed two missions, first Rachel and now her and he wanted to know where he was defective, why he was inadequate? She might not yet be able to explain why she had treated him so badly in the past, but this she could deal with.  
  
"You haven't failed, Alec, I do want you as my mate. I was going to tell you tonight. After I'd told Logan we were finished, it seemed right to do it that way, but everything got all messed up and I didn't get a chance to tell Logan and then you seemed so preoccupied I."  
  
"What? What did you say?" he interrupted haltingly.  
  
"I said, I want you to be my mate," she repeated patiently. "Please," she tagged on as an after thought.  
  
She wanted him as her mate. Please, he repeated in his head, stunned. *It couldn't be this easy.* He glanced sideways at her eyeing her doubtfully. His befuddled, wary expression made her smile.  
  
"You and me, Max, like this every night together?" he gestured to where they lay, to make sure she understood what he was asking her. "No Logan."  
  
"I may not know a few things, Alec, but I'm not an idiot. I know what being mated means," she snorted.  
  
He smiled. That open engaging smile that made her breath catch. She smiled back at him.  
  
"So then you know that as the female in this partnership you do exactly what I say when I say it? As is the way with transgenic matings," he asked, his usual cocky façade back in place.  
  
"Yeah, right, Alec, in your dreams," she replied tartly.  
  
I am in my dreams he thought, euphorically *I'm in Max's bed with Max, and she is pregnant with my baby, and she has just told me she wants to be my mate* he smiled beatifically at her.  
  
Moving closer, she leaned into him, "Things will continue on as they always have," she breathed, sucking along his collarbone.  
  
She felt his fingers twinning through her hair. "With you doing exactly what I want, " she whispered, raining butterfly kisses up his neck, "when I want it." She closed her eyes blissfully as his fingers massaged her scalp.  
  
"Except now I can have my wicked way with you," she murmured, into the ear she was tracing with her tongue, "whenever I choose."  
  
"Okay," he agreed, his green eyes alight with laughter.  
  
Her hair was spread in disarray across the pillow. His eyes caught and held hers as he tenderly stroked it into order. Bending his head, he teased her lips apart, at the same time his large warm hand gently kneaded her stomach. The rich heady taste of him invaded her senses. He kissed her slow and deep, his tongue searching and exploring.  
  
Max gave herself up to his mouth as she kissed him, running her fingers through his silky hair, a fire of desire for him pulsing through her. He could feel her whimpering into his mouth as she moulded herself against him. Pulling away from their kiss, he looked down at the mass of her dark hair falling over her creamy shoulders, her long slender neck and her full rounded breasts with their velvet soft nipples.  
  
"You're so beautiful Max." Cupping one of her lush breasts, he brushed his thumb over the nipple. He heard her soft moan and felt her hand cradling his head, urging his mouth down to her other breast. He Laved swollen nipple with his tongue and she pushed her breast up into his mouth. Taking it into his mouth he suckled sweetly.  
  
"Hmm. don't stop, Alec, that feels so good." He heard her deep sigh of pleasure as he turned his attention to her other breast.  
  
Max feeling his hand leave her breast, and his fingers gliding lightly over the sensitive skin of her stomach, arched in anticipation as he began to kiss his way down her body.  
  
He felt her stomach hollow as he circled her navel with his tongue. Feeling her hands on his shoulders urging him down her body he grinned into her abdomen. Nibbling and kissing a trail across to her hipbone he felt her moving her leg to give him better access to where she wanted him, her hands on his shoulders still pushing him down.  
  
"Do you want me to do this, Max?" he murmured lapping his tongue across her sensitive clit. He heard her quick intake of breath as she jerked her hips up into his mouth.  
  
"Yes," she breathed, holding his head on her.  
  
She was so wet and warm and swollen, her taste intoxicating. He loved how she moaned and thrashed under his mouth, how she urged him not to stop. She was so uninhibited and breathlessly appreciative. He loved that about her  
  
"Don't stop, Alec, Don't stop," she moaned, as she arched up under his mouth.  
  
He could feel the tension in her building as he tried to still the frenzied jerking of her hips. Sucking rhythmically he felt her hands convulse in his hair as she arched her back and shuddered into her climax.  
  
He pulled her still trembling body into his arms and held her until her body had quieted, his own hot hard and ready. She found his mouth with hers, their kiss mutually hungry. Tongues tangled as she clung to him and pressed her body flush against his. She could feel his erection pressed between their bodies.  
  
Slowly breaking their kiss, she moved back to look at him " I never imagined before you, Alec, that a man could be so beautiful," she whispered, tracing a feather soft line down his chest to his navel. "Especially here," she murmured, her eyes sultry as she gazed at him from under her eyelashes and closed her hand around his erection. " Are all transgenic males as big as you?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Don't know Max," he answered unsteadily, groaning as she gripped him tightly and slid her hand up the shaft of his erection.  
  
He closed his eyes blissfully as she closed her hand over the swollen, pulsing head. She watched his lips part and his eyes flutter shut as she started to move her hand on him.  
  
"Do you like that, Alec?" she murmured, between gentle bites as she sucked his stomach and moved her hand on him.  
  
He grunted in reply moving his hips into her hand, his hand cradling her head. Moving down the bed closer to him she grasped his shaft in her hand and licked the head, laving her tongue around the sensitive rim. Both his hands went to her head as she heard, that deep sexy groan he made low in his throat. But you like this best, she thought complacently as she closed her mouth over him and started to suck.  
  
Alec looked down at her glossy head buried in his groin, and all sensation concentrated where her soft warm mouth engulfed him. He could feel himself starting to loose control. Reaching down, he grasped her arms to pull her up his body. Reluctantly releasing him she moaned disappointedly.  
  
"I want to be inside you, Max," his voice was deep and husky in her ear as he lay down again pulling her on top of him.  
  
She rose to her knees, and grasping his shaft she moved him into position, and sank down until he was buried deep. He watched her rapt, flushed face as she sank down onto him. His hands around her waist, he sat up and still inside her he moved to the side of the bed, his feet on the floor and Max astride his lap. He pulled her against him and buried his face in the warm curve of her neck.  
  
Clamping his hands on her waist he pulled her down onto him as he thrust into her. Quickly catching his rhythm, Max met his thrusts as she moved up and down on him. Hands on her back, he held her arched body and thrust repeatedly into her as she moaned and withered. Leaning forward he closed his mouth over her nipple, sucking and working the erect bud with his teeth.  
  
Holding his head to her breast she was gasping and rocking against him as she sought her release. He couldn't get enough of her he needed to be a part of her like this, needed her slick with sweat, wild and wanton, desperate for release, needing him as much as he needed her. Again and again he thrust into her. Eyes locked on her face, he saw her bite down on her bottom lip as he quickened his rhythm.  
  
Max felt him start to go wild under her. Sliding his hands up her back, he jerked her urgently against him and she heard him grunt deep in his throat as she felt the warm wet surge of him inside her. Her own body followed his, her inner muscles spasming around him as she bit down into his shoulder and rode him through her release.  
  
Her cheek on his heaving chest she rested boneless and satiated against him. His heartbeat was frantic under her ear. Moving her hair aside he kissed the back of her neck as he stroked and rubbed her back.  
  
"Cold," he asked, as he felt her shiver.  
  
"No," she giggled, closing her eyes blissfully and wiggling closer into him. His fingers, trailed a sensuous rhythm up and down her spine, making her shiver again.  
  
He looked down at her nestled against him. Giggling and happy again. He smiled with satisfaction. Moving them both back into the bed, he pulled the cover over them as she nestled against his side. Tilting her chin up, he kissed her long and slow and sensuously. Slowly releasing her lip he was sucking, he pulled back to look at her.  
  
Her eyes were soft as they roamed his face "I do like you, Alec," she whispered, reaching up and tucking a strand of his silky hair behind his ear. "You're very special to me and I'm lucky to have you as my mate." Max felt a wave of tenderness for him as she watched disbelief, joy and finally shy embarrassment flit across his face.  
  
Overcome with happiness choking back his emotions, Alec buried his face in the curve of her neck. Beyond happy, he held her as she cradled his head with one hand and stoked his hair with the other. This is what he had been looking for all his life. This sense of belonging, this closeness and connection he felt when he was with her. He would keep her safe. Nobody was going to take this away from him, he vowed silently.  
  
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Max struggled slowly to awareness she couldn't remember ever sleeping as deeply, she lay there getting her bearings. Alec. She could feel him, smell him, but he was no longer in her bed. Quickly, she sat up, and padded into her living room. He was standing by the window naked, his head bowed, his back to her, surveying the street.  
  
She ran her eyes leisurely up his strong, tall frame she'd never get tired of looking at him. He truly was beautiful. She could see the muscles in his wide shoulders and his lean buttocks flex and move every time he shifted his weight. The stark white dressing on his shoulder the only thing marring the smooth perfection of his skin. Thankfully, she registered the wound had stopped bleeding. Watching wasn't enough, her need to touch him was irresistible.  
  
Alec, his body still angled so he could view the street, turned his head and watched her as she came to him. Her small, fluid body with its surprisingly lush curves, so beautiful, her hair in wild disarray, her expression soft, and her face flushed, her lips plump and swollen from his kisses. He registered the marks of his teeth on her with satisfaction. Mine, and marked as mine flashed primitively through his mind. He accepted his possessiveness with resignation his DNA predetermined it. It was outside his control and therefore pointless to dwell on.  
  
Max slid her hand caressingly up the long muscle of his back and over his shoulder, and moving into his side she pressed herself against him. He moved his body to screen hers from the window, his hand seeking the warm hollow of her back.  
  
"What are you looking at, Alec?" she peered out into the darkness and down to the street. Cars, a few people, nothing of interest, she registered before he jerked the curtain closed. Turning back to him their eyes caught.  
  
Gently she smoothed her fingers down his neck, his skin is so much softer than you'd expect, almost velvety, she mused as she traced the arch of his ear. Absorbed, she trailed her fingertips along the strong plains of his jaw and down the warm length of his throat. Stretching up, she opened her mouth over the warm hollow at the base of his throat and sucked.  
  
Logan and his unit already gone from his mind, Alec closed his eyes, his total focus on Max and how she made him feel.  
  
"Why weren't you in my bed when I woke up?" she breathed against his throat.  
  
"I wanted to see if you missed me enough to come get me," he murmured into her ear.  
  
"The minute I woke up, I missed you," she answered, marvelling at her own happy, content acceptance of the truth of it.  
  
He loved her teasing like this. When she said things like that, it made him feel important to her.  
  
Pulling her against him, he slid his hands down her sides and around her ass and lifted her up his body. As she locked her legs around his waist, he watched her dark eyes widen as her body intimately contacted his.  
  
"Hmm I think I like this mode of transport she mused, smiling wickedly as she rubbed herself against him.  
  
His green eyes dancing with happiness, Alec carried her back to bed.  
  
TBC  
  
Please Review 


	17. Chapter 17 Rated R For Sexual Content

This Chapter was Beta's by scarlet.  Thankyou once again Scarlet.

Chapter Seventeen

God, he was tired. Sleeping with Max was not conducive to actually sleeping.  Smiling, he turned onto his side and propped his head on his hand as he looked at her.  Even more beautiful when she was asleep, his eyes lingered on her lips as they moved softly into a smile.  Gently, he traced them with his finger. The fact that she didn't stir, didn't move reassured him as nothing else could that she truly had taken him as her mate. Safe sleep, they had called it when they were children.  That deep trusting sleep that you only slept around those your instincts recognised on a primal level as safe, as part of your pack.

He had stayed awake because he wanted to relish every moment he could spend with her like this.  In the morning he would take command of TC he knew what that would entail as clearly as Max did not. He had a highly trained fighting force strong enough to effectively take control of Seattle if he needed too.  He led a people determined to survive. With an instinct for survival that ordinaries couldn't even begin to comprehend.   

He would stop the killing of his kind with whatever it took.  Sighing he fixed his eyes again on Max's face. He would like it to be a joint effort, she had a lot more experience integrating with humans than any of them. But he knew that what he would need to do to make Seattle safe for all of them could mean she might not even choose to remain his mate, let alone help him.

They were being targeted and killed and Trasgenic nature was starting to reassert itself. Before they had been unorganised and scattered but now they had started to regroup here in TC and reunite with their units.  It was their nature to fight, not retreat. Even fighting in small groups they would cause a lot of damage to the human population of Seattle. But in small groups, they wouldn't survive as a nation and eventually they would be eliminated.  A well organised and managed military campaign would ensure that the Transgenic population survived. Plus it would mean less human casualties.  A win, win situation as far as he was concerned but Max would probably not see it that way. 

His sweetest dreams he'd had of being with her paled in comparison to the reality. He wanted to relish every moment.  Lying here with her, just being able to watch her sleep was as important to him as making love to her. He had never really understood the deep obsessive attachment Steve and the other guys felt for their mates but he did now, he thought, ruefully.  Each day that passed, it grew stronger. Each time she touched him or said something to show him she did care about him, he loved her more. But they were so new to each other.  Her instincts might trust him enough to turn off in his presence when she was asleep but would she trust him enough to let him do his job?  

All he wanted was to make it safe for her and their baby, for all their kind to live without fear of being killed or enslaved again. But before he did that, he had to neutralise White, and deal with the Seattle Ordinaries who thought it was okay to kill them for sport.

Alec watched her eyes flutter open.  Leaning over her he brushed his lips across her cheek her skin was soft.  So soft, like the smoothest satin. Gently, he kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Hey," she greeted sleepily.  "What time is it?" 

"Only three o'clock.  Go back to sleep, Max, plenty of time before we have to get up. You need your rest now." 

"So do you.  You still look really tired," she whispered, stroking her fingers down his cheek and along his jaw, "have you even been to sleep?" He drew her naked body into the curve of his and felt her shift provocatively as his half aroused erection nudged the cleft of her buttocks.

"Hmm not sleepy Alec," she whispered, as she rotated her buttocks against his erection. 

"Yeah, I am but I'd rather do this."  Kissing the nape of her neck, he nudged her hair aside.

Gently, she stroked the back of his hand that was now squeezing her breast.

"That feels good," she whispered, turning her face into the arm that was under her head, she gently sucked his inner elbow.

Alec felt a hot heavy flash of desire.  "How do you do that Max?" His deep voice tickled her neck as he sucked her earlobe.

"What?" She asked innocently, still sucking his arm.   

His hand cupped the swelling fullness of her breast his thumb, now massaging the taunt nipple.

"Always pick the right spot," he gently bit down her neck  "the right way, to make me really hot," he murmured, sucking the curve where her neck joined her shoulder.

"Instinct," she breathed. 

He slid his hand down the quivering swell of her stomach into her moist curls. She was ready for him, hot and wet on his fingers.  The scent of her desire warm and seductive.  She bucked against his hand as he caressed her, rubbing her buttocks against his erection.

"How do you know?" she whispered as she felt him rub his inner thigh along her leg, his fingers still moving between her legs.

"Practise," he smiled, into her neck as she stroked his thigh where it rested on her hip.

"Practise is good," she breathed as she rolled onto her back "but only with me."  

"Yeah, only with you Max," he agreed sweetly, green eyes meshed with brown as he stroked her hair back from her face, sliding his fingers through the silken strands.

"Only ever with you now." Bending his head, he brushed a feather soft kiss across her mouth.

Her hand went to his head as she pulled his mouth quickly back down and covered his lips with hers. She felt his tongue surge into her mouth, driving all other thoughts from her head.  Pulling his weight down on top of her, she spread her legs and drew her knees up making it easy for him to move into the cradle of her thighs.  She could feel him try to relieve her of his weight and pulled him back down.  "I want your weight on me," she breathed as she licked his ear and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

He could feel her breasts soft under his chest her stomach pressed against his abdomen her mouth on his ear.  "Yeah, Max, he groaned, leaning his ear into her mouth as she gripped the sides of his body with her bent legs.

She could feel his erection hot and hard and throbbing with life as it rested against her. Inserting her hand between their bodies she closed her hand around him and guided him to her. "I just want you inside me, Alec."  Lifting her hips she manoeuvred to bring him into her body.  Alec leaned back until there bodies where only touching where hers cradled his between her legs. And his hard length nudged her hot moist opening, he looked down between their bodies.  

She's so sexy, he thought smiling as she moved her hips suggestively up at him.  Leaving him in no doubt as to what she wanted.  Slowly, he pushed into her he could feel her muscles close around the head of his erection, gripping and squeezing him, as she undulated her hips, trying to draw him deeper into her.  "Open your eyes Max."  His deep husky request took her by surprise she opened her eyes.  His eyes captured hers as he eased a little more into her.  Her hips were moving frantically up at him now as he moved slowly, fully into her until finally he was buried deep inside her. Their gazes still locked, she continued to thrust her hips up as he rested still inside her. Half sitting up, she slid her hands up the sides of his body and pulled him back down to her.  "I like your weight on me," she whispered, before his mouth closed over hers.

Cradling her face in his hands, he covered her soft luscious mouth with his.  Her lips parted and her felt her tongue slide sensuously into his mouth, her delicious sweet taste invading his senses. 

Sliding her hands up his back, she pulled him more tightly into her as she arched her back and matched him thrust for thrust.

His hand now holding her head, she could feel his sense of urgency growing. Lips moving on hers, he let her feel the hunger in his kiss.  She met his demand, her tongue dancing with his as she wound her arms around his neck His body now slick with sweat, he continued to thrust into her.  She thrust her tongue into his mouth as he unrelentingly thrust into her body.  

Releasing her mouth to breathe, Alec buried his face in the scented hollow of her throat. He could feel her hands on his back her fingers sliding up and down his backbone and his neck as he thrust into her again and again.

Sliding her hands across his back, Max could feel the muscles moving and flexing under her palms.  Biting into his shoulder she heard him groan in pleasure as she sucked away the pain. With increasing urgency he plunged wildly above her.  Looking up into his intense sweaty face her eye caught his and she saw her own wild need reflected back at her. Her climax hit her hard and suddenly. Gasping his name, she felt her muscles start to spasm around him as shuddering waves of pleasure swept over her. He was still plunging wildly into her as she convulsed around him. Pulling his head down to her, she covered his ear with her mouth and plunged her tongue into it. She heard him groan low in his throat as she sucked his ear and he thrust violently into her until she felt the warm surge of his seed.

Pulling him back down to her she could feel his heavy breathe in her ear as his body quieted. She stroked along his spine as she sucked his earlobe and nuzzled his neck.  Rolling onto his back, he pulled her with him. Settling her head on his shoulder she slung her leg across his body.  His breathing was still laboured and putting her hand over his heart she could feel its fast beat against her palm.

"You should be able to go to sleep now, I've tired you out," she said with satisfaction, tilting her head and smiling smugly at him.

"Yeah," he agreed, laughing, his head again full of what he had to do tomorrow.

Half an hour later, they were both still awake.  She looked at him again, still preoccupied deep in his thoughts.  She traced a path with her finger around his ear and down his neck. "What are you thinking about, Alec?" Smoothing her finger across his collarbone she meet his eyes as he looked down at her.  

His eyes are so expressive, she thought, as she watched the debate going on behind them as the whether he should tell her or not.

"Yes, you should, Alec."

Perplexed, he frowned at her.  

"You should tell me what you're worried about,

"What makes you think I'm worried?"

"Because you look worried and you hardly ever worry about anything."  

He laughed, but it didn't reach his eyes.  She knew straight away it had been the wrong thing to say and he wasn't going to tell her.  So he did worry, but this had been the only time he had let her see it.  She wouldn't make that mistake again.

"So shall we make you to tired to worry as well," she invited kissing along his jaw.  

"Okay," but since I'm already tired your going to have to do most of the work."

"Okay, she agreed sucking his full lower lip slowly in to her mouth.

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Max struggled to consciousness.  She'd never slept as deeply as she'd been sleeping lately. Must be the pregnancy hormones, she mused, snuggling sensuously into the hard warm body wrapped around her. It's so nice to wake up with him like this. Smiling, she ran her hand up his back and pulled him closer.  Now she was going to be able to do it every day, she thought happily. 

"Sleep well?" he asked, his deep voice taking her by surprise. 

"Hmmm really good."  He felt a flare of desire for her as he watched her fluid sensuous stretch.  She turned her head on the pillow to look at him.  "So what's the plan for today?  It's Saturday so we could stay in bed all day if we wanted," she offered enticingly.  

Yeah. How he wished they could. Leaning over her he cupped her face in the palm of his hand and brushed his lips across hers a simple, brief tender kiss.  "I gotta go to TC today, Max. Got a lot to do."  

"What do you have to do?" she asked petulantly, already knowing he was right, they both had things to do that couldn't avoided.

"Gotta sort Todd and Tavis out for starters." His mind started to run through all the things he needed to do to start getting his Command into shape.

And you've got to see Logan today to," he added warily.

"Yes," she agreed, glancing quickly away.  

"Not looking forward to it are you, Max," he asked softly, turning her face back to him.  

"Of course I'm not, Alec," she answered tartly, " 

"Would you be?"

"I could come with you? he offered hopefully. 

"I don't like the idea of you going on your own." Didn't like the thought of Logan in the same space as her..

"I'm perfectly capable of telling him on my own, Alec," she huffed indignantly.

"I know you are, Max." He brushed the hair off her face and kissed her softly.  But I don't want him hassling you."  And I don't want him touching you either he thought repressing a flare of anger.

"If you won't let me come then, I'm gonna send Kat with you.  Her presence will help calm things down, diffuse things a bit," he rushed on, fully expecting disagreement from her.

To his great surprise she shrugged her acceptance without protest.  She must really be anticipating a hard time, he realized, frowning angrily, thinking about how much better if would be if he went himself.  But she wouldn't let him.   Kat would have to do.  He knew she was perfectly capable of handling Logan on her own.  But why should she have to? She had the right to be with him and Logan had no right to make it unpleasant for her.

"Logan was parked outside for most of the night, Max.  He knew I was up here with you."  He saw the shock in her eyes before she blanked it out with that still, expressionless face he had come to hate.  He had only seen it twice over the last week and both times it had involved Logan.  Well no more, he thought in satisfaction, after today Logan would be gone from her life for good.

"Hhe saw us arrive?" she asked shaken.  Alec returned her gaze steadily.

"Why didn't you tell me he was there?  That's why you were so restless and looking out the window all night, wasn't it?" she demanded angrily. 

"I don't trust the guy, Max."  I've never trusted him. You don't send your girlfriend unprotected into the sort of dangerous situations he sent you.  When he thought you and him were together I didn't think he'd do anything to deliberately hurt you. But you're mine now Max and I don't trust him. So yeah, I kept my eye on him."

Max angrily realized how much harder it was going to be to tell Logan now he had already seen her and Alec together. Sitting up, she jerked the sheet off him.  Alec watched her rigid back as she sat on the bed, angrily wrapping herself in the sheet.

Stomping into her living room she pulled the curtain open.  She caught the quick flash of movement on the building opposite.

Just as she thought.  Furious now, she scanned the road and the surrounding area.  She couldn't see them, they were to good for that, but she knew they were there.

She stormed back into the bedroom "What the hell do you think you're doing Alec?  First you don't tell me Logan is there, and then you mobilise our own kind to protect me from, Logan?  He would never hurt me, he's never had anything but my best interests at heart. And I'm not yours, you don't own me. Who the hell do you think you are?" she ranted.

Alec rose fluidly from the bed and impassively pulled his pants on.  Max felt her rage rising as he ignored her.  She knew in the back of her brain her anger was out of proportion, but she couldn't seem to stem it.

"Don't…just… ignore… me," she demanded through gritted teeth, eyeing his partially clad body disdainfully.  He sat on the bed and started to put his boots on. 

"What the hell did you think your were doing?  What do you think everyone will think?  That I'm so useless not only can I not defend myself?  That I'm so stupid that I have friends that can't be trusted?"

Alec knew he had to get out of there.  He very rarely lost his temper but he could feel his anger growing and confusedly mixed in with that was pain. She was the only one who could make him feel like this.  He hated her cold and angry and disconnected from him like this.  It was always this same shit… always over Logan. Logan this… Logan that.  Logan could do nothing wrong whereas he couldn't seem to do anything right.  She'd sweep all common sense aside.  Care about nothing in her fucking defence of Logan. 

"Don't ignore me, Alec, answer ME," she commanded, storming over to him and hitting his shoulder. He intercepted her blow, grabbing her hand before she connected with his body.  Max surprised, first, that he had blocked her and second, that it had been so fast she hadn't seen it, stared at him blankly.

He stood up. Still holding her hand, he moved it down to her side.  Suddenly uncertain, she gazed warily back at him. She could feel how angry he was, it emanated of him.  He never gets angry like this, she thought confused. Her eyes fell to the small ticking muscle in his jaw before sweeping back up to meet his stormy green gaze.

"I don't like it when you hit me, Max.  I've tolerated it in the past but now you have other ways to touch me," he said quietly, his eyes intent on hers. 

"As to owning you, it's not about that.  That's the Ordinary way to look at it.  I'm a Transgenic and I make no apology for that.  I couldn't be an ordinary even if I wanted to be.  And I don't," he reiterated emphatically.  

"You're mated to a Transgenic male, Max.  You are most definitely mine," he released her hand and brought his large hand to her abdomen his splayed fingers enclosing her stomach.  And so is the child inside you. Mine," he repeated possessively and unapologetically, his eyes still intent on hers.  Moving past her he grabbed his jacket.

Max, her flash of anger-gone, feeling bewildered and unsure, stood forlornly where he had left her. 

"I'll send Kat up now," he said, from the door way as he shrugged into his jacket.  "Getting my Unit to cover my back is standard procedure, Max.  And nobody will think any the less of you because it's not really about you.  Every transgenic woman when she's outside of TC has at least two males either with her or watching her back. This has been happening for the last three months, ever since we realized how many we were losing, either to White or to random killings by Ordinaries. You haven't noticed, Max, because I've been the one at your back.  But when I haven't, for one reason or another, been there, others have been."

"And that's one of the reasons I know that Logan has nothing but his own best interests at heart.  I know all the dangerous, shit he's sent you into.  I know how close you've come to White on some of Logan's stupid self-aggrandising bullshit missions.  We all know because we've been there, protecting your back.  Logan may not be a direct threat to you, Max, I don't know, but I sure as hell don't trust him. And I'll take no chances with your safety."

"That goes for all Ordinaries, not just Logan.  Its Ordinaries who have declared war on us, Max.  White and his loony tunes are merely their agents.  Until we have resolved that and they no longer consider killing us their right and privilege then as far as I'm concerned all Ordinaries are either the enemy or at best unfriendly non-combatants." 

"We all feel like that and I'm a moderate compared to some.  You need to start listening to your own kind, Max.  No one in TC is interested in what ordinaries think we should do to fit into their world.  Those of us who have spent twenty years under their control, trying to fit our instincts and ourselves within their parameters know it isn't possible, even if we wanted it.

"Just give us a chance, Max?" he finished wearily, as he closed the door.

Her stunned eyes fixed unseeingly on the door.  Everybody feels like this and she'd had not idea, no clue.  She hadn't even known Alec felt like that and she thought she knew everything there was to know about him.

Yeah, she thought guiltily, but you thought there wasn't much to know. You disdained him, dismissed him as just another Manticore soldier clone who kept messing up. You disdained all of them.  Oh sure, you wanted to help them but you didn't want to be like them.  You thought they should want to be like you and fit into the human world.  Except you never fitted into the human world, she admitted to herself, you just tried to convince yourself you did.  And until Alec had come into her life, so obviously, unashamedly Transgenic, and he had felt so comfortable and familiar to her, she had thought she had.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max got into the passenger side of the van. "Thanks for coming with me, Kat.  I, I know that none of you like Logan, but he's been a good friend to me." 

"Its never easy to have to tell someone you care about that you don't want to be with them anymore. I understand how that feels Max. And I'm happy to come with you."  Max could hear the emotion in her voice.  

"You've had to do it too, Kat?"

"Yeah, Steve when we were back at Manticore when they started the forced breeding programme."

Oh God, not another thing I managed to screw up. "What happened?" she asked guiltily. 

"We were already mated before the programme and he just couldn't handle it, same as the other mated males during that time," she shrugged.  So to keep him alive I tried to cut him loose.  It didn't work very well, though.  At first he wouldn't accept it and when he did, he became self-destructive. So Alec called in some big time favours and managed to sneakily manipulate them into transferring him out of our Unit into another area of the facility, under another Commander. At least he wasn't one of the ones they killed," she added bitterly.

"I don't understand Kat why did they kill them? Why not just send them to reindoctrination? 

"They did at first.  Steve was one of the ones they tried that on but it didn't take them long to realize that they couldn't over ride their instincts or the primal memory the body has when you make an emotional as well as a physical connection with another Transgenic. After that they tried Psy-Ops and then Punishment." 

"Hasn't anyone ever told you about this, Max? Its probably the reason the X'5'series lost so many women straight after the escape.  A lot of them were women whose mates had been killed. Separated from the rest of us, their mates gone they just didn't try hard enough to survive."

"We're here."  Kat nodded toward Foggle Towers.

"Yeah."  Absently Max noted where they were. "Kat, tell me about what happened to you and Steve, to everyone, all of it. Remember I've been away from Maniticore for ten years so a lot of the stuff you take for granted I don't know.  Have no idea about. 

"Okay, Max," Kat agreed. 

"Steve just couldn't handle the breeding programme he went insane every time he knew I was being sent to breed.  Imagined it was going to happening when it wasn't.  He became obsessively over protective.  He got disciplined so many times he was barely physically functional. When that didn't work they tried Reindoctrination, then Psy-Ops and then Punishment  

His behaviour was standard for all the mated males they just couldn't help it.  It's just X5 DNA. Their mates couldn't help them, their Units couldn't help them. It was heart breaking.  In their heads they knew the other guys weren't touching the mated females, but their instincts just couldn't cope.

"Mostly, the mated males had managed to disguise their possessiveness, hide their instincts prior to the breeding programme.  But that was only because other Transgenic males never messed with mated females.  There were only ever problems if ordinaries put their hands on a mated female." 

"The guards got the message, and were very careful, nobody wanted to die for accidentally touching a mated female and within the units, everyone became very good at covering for the guys and controlling them if need be.  The handlers never really became aware of it until the breeding programme.  Once they knew, then, of course, the brass knew and then came the proposed solutions, none of which worked.  Finally, they decided to take another tact."

"They decided executing a few of the more dangerous, more recalcitrant males, making an example of them, might have a deterrent effect.   So one day at roll call handlers went into the ranks and shot about twenty of them in the back of the head.  That didn't work either.  In fact, it caused a fucking riot."

"What, you mean there was unrest and rebellion before I burned Manticore."

"Of course there was, did you think it changed after you left? There was always unrest. As we got older, we were harder to control, more resistant to discipline. I thought Alec would have told you about all this," Kat asked curiously.

"No, we haven't talked about it," she replied, her mind reeling.  When would Alec tell me about this? When had she ever been interested enough to listen to anything he'd tried to tell her? she thought, moaning inwardly.  She could hear him in her head   'you thought it was hard when we were kids.  Well, it got a whole lot harder.'

"Tell me about the riot, Kat." 

"The whole thing took less than five minutes.  It started out just a normal rollcall.  Handlers often walked amongst the ranks and they were always armed. There were quite a few extra guards on the ground that day but that wasn't unusual either.  They called the CO's up to the front, again not unusual.  But by then we'd had an alert signal from Alec so we knew something was up.  Next thing we knew the handlers in the ranks pulled their weapons and simultaneously shot twenty of the mated males in the back of the head as examples.  At the time, we didn't know what was going on.  It just seemed like they were randomly killing us.  

Alec was the first to move. He disarmed the handler closest to him and had put a bullet in his brain before the X5's they had shot had hit the ground and he signalled us to fight. The only guns in the compound were the 20 the handlers had and they only had the chambered rounds and no clips so they were useless. The guards only had tazers, so it was hand-to-hand. We killed everybody Manticore had on the ground 200 Ordinaries the whole thing took less than five minute but we lost 50 of our own kind to the guards shooting us from the towers.

Alec and the ten CO's already up the front went for the Towers.  But they had to fight there way through the guards before they could get to the wire.  Alec and two of the others made it, plus Tavis and Biggs, who always had Alec's, back and were close behind him. They had to climb the electrified barbed wire and by the time they got to the top they had all taken multi hits.

But once they had neutralised the towers the brass had to horse trade with Alec.  He stayed on his feet long enough to talk us out of the compound and into lockdown.  

Why didn't you break out that day?" Max asked.

"Because the only CO's we had left had to be stretchered out of the Towers.  We had no one to lead us, so we went back to our cells."  

"If Alec led the raid, why didn't they execute him?"

"They didn't know he'd given the order.  They thought it was a spontaneous, panicked reaction.  They didn't understand how it was for us.  They showed that in thinking that separating the units from their CO's would mean we couldn't react quickly enough to retaliate.  It never occurred to them that there was someone who could command all the Units."  

"They have never really understood that ranking naturally evolves for us. Our alpha's always self select and because they were alpha anyway, already recognised and followed by the group, Manticore would then select them to be CO's.  Manticore thought it was the other way round."  Kat laughed.

Although they did develop some understanding towards the end because they did stop stripping rank from CO's as it never really worked.  The Units still naturally recognised the instinctual hierarchies. 

"The whole incident was a mismanaged mistake on Manticores part. Renfo was away and the Facility was being managed by her new 2IC.  He thought he'd make his mark by solving a disciplinary problem that had all the Brass scratching their heads.  But he had no idea of how to manage Transgenics or how much fire power he would have needed to pull of a stunt like that."

"Max, her mind reeling, wondered what else she didn't know about.  Hadn't bothered to ask about or had just tuned out. Either because she was just too arrogant and full of herself, or because she thought she already knew it all. *Why did I assume it it would still be as I left  it ten years ago?  What was I thinking she?*

"From then on when they became aware a male had mated, they decided his fate based on who he had killed. Other Transgenics or guards they transferred him to a different area of the compound.  If they killed handlers, then they took them away and quietly shot them.  Transfering didn't really work either because you couldn't sever that instinctual connection.  But by providing physical distance it at least kept the males from constantly coming to the attention of the Handlers."

Alec, Tavis, Biggs and the other X5' CO's who had neutralized the towers spent a month in Punishment. The rest of us were kept in constant lockdown. Lockdown continued until you burned Manticore Max.

"What was Punishment?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot Punishment was introduced about two years ago. It was like Psy-Ops except they didn't waste time fucking with your head.  Only really hard disciplinary problems that Psy-Ops hadn't been able to break went to Punishment. Most of them don't talk about it. Steve won't, nor Alec, but from what I can gather it was just day in day out relentless physical torture.  Those that survived it always had a lengthy stay in the infirmary."

"Alec hadn't been long out of Punishment long when he was assigned as your breeding partner, he was still physically recovering and probably still pretty messed up which was why he was assigned to that duty instead of straight back to his unit and active duty."

He wasn't back with the ranks, but was still in segregation when Manticore burned.  That's how he got separated from us during the escape.  We found Tavis and Biggs and I found Steve again," she added smiling softly.  But we couldn't find Alec or two of our females who had been taken away to be breed so our unit had to evac without them. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kat let Logan's door slam closed.

"Don't cry, Max, you did your best in there.  If he chose to receive it like that, then that's his bad luck." 

The nasty, self-absorbed, fucked up Ordinary bastard, Kat thought to herself.  He'd get his.  She might not be able to tell Alec the worst of it, but she could tell Steve and that bastard would finally get the ass kicking he deserved. 

Kat put her arm comfortingly around Max's shoulders as they walked back to the van. 

"I'm not crying about what he said to me Kat.  Its what he said about the baby.  Do you think he's right?  I mean he's right about me not being like you and the other women in TC.  I don't mean in the way he meant it.  I mean I'm not as tuned to my body or my instincts as you and the other women. Maybe I'm not pregnant."  

"Get one of those ordinary test kit things if you doubt it Max."  Kat suggested shrugging.  "But your body has told you a baby is there.  Just like it tells you about heat, I guess. I wouldn't let Logan make you start doubting yourself again.  He's been pretty good at that in the past," she added shrewdly.

"I'm really sorry for what he called you.  I never knew he was such a bigot, I never knew he felt like that about us," bewildered, she looked at Kat.  

We knew, Kat thought disgustedly.  "Its not your fault, Max, you are not responsible for his shit. And it isn't you he feels like that about, just the rest of us. Most Ordinaries do, they're scared of us we're a threat to them.  It doesn't really matter if we are X or anomolie, to them we are all the same.

"He really hates Alec," Max shivered.  The depth of his hatred and contempt for Alec had shocked her.  "Don't tell Alec what he said about him, Kat, there's no reason he should have to hear that, please."  

"No I won't tell him if you don't want me to. But he already knows, Max.  Logan has always treated him with contempt." 

Alec's usually pretty easy going.  He's pretty calm, doesn't loose his cool easily and is generally pretty tolerant.  But one thing we all know and appreciate about him, because it's the reason a lot of us are still alive, is that he recognises threat early and he knows how to eliminate it.  Usually he does it fast and ruthlessly, without qualm. Logan, he let linger on far past the point of what seemed sensible to most of us."

"Why would he consider Logan a threat?"  Frowning, Max wondered whether Kat was implying she would have expected Alec to kill Logan.  

"A threat to you, Max. Alec wanted you for his mate, Logan repeatedly sent you into dangerous, stupid situations on idiotic missions risking your life for his own bullshit agenda.  It nearly drove Alec crazy.  Steve and the guys couldn't figure it out. Why he would continue to let Logan put you at risk?" 

But I think I know why.  Alec knew that things were different out here.  The old Manticore behaviour didn't work and our own instinctive behaviour often didn't fit either, so sometimes he didn't know what to do.  He didn't know what to do about Logan without turning you against him and that is why Logan remained a problem."

Alec is CO not because he was Top dog at Manticore that really didn't mean that much to anyone but Manticore hierarchy.  We elected him because our instincts already knew him as Alpha. He can do what is necessary to keep us alive. He will stop the killing, we know that. But after he has done that, if we are to integrate with Ordinaries on any level, then we will need someone who understands them, someone we trust.  Alec trusts you and we trust Alec so that is were you come in, Max. When he doesn't know what to do, I think you will.

Kat saw Max's sceptical expression. "Ahh, you buy that 'I'm always all right' shit he hands out. We don't. We know him too well. We know his strengths and we know his weaknesses.  You need to know them too.  Talk to him, Max, because although you're his mate now, you don't really know him.  I've seen him turn to you when he's floundering and I've seen you not only turn him away, but not even realize what's happening.  We can't afford for you to keep doing that, Max.

TBC 


	18. Chapter Eighteen

This Chapter was beta'd by Scarlet.  Thank you Scarlet.

Chapter Eighteen

Max sat quietly, her mind reeling as Kat drove them back to TC.  She would never have believed it possible that Logan would talk to her like that, or that he would prove to be so avidly anti- Transgenic.  Worse than the most red necked ordinary, she thought numbly. 

It was hardly surprising that he didn't like Alec, but the level of his hatred had scared her. Alec had been right to have his Unit outside watching last night, she reflected miserably, but not for her protection, for his own. He had said he wouldn't take chances with her safety. Thinking about his safety, she now understood how he had felt.

There was no justification for the stupid reactive way she had behaved.  Because she'd instinctively known that Logan would be unpleasant once he'd seen Alec and her together, she fell back into her old habitual behaviour of blaming everything on Alec. Except this time, he didn't just take it. This time it made him angry.  She hadn't liked him angry.  

Panicked thoughts tumbled through her mind. What if Logan's right?  I have only been with Alec for just over a week. Maybe it is unlikely I'm pregnant and I do need to see a doctor.  Maybe I just liked the idea of a baby and I have imagined it. Alec mightn't want me for his mate without the baby she thought in alarm, remembering what Cece had said about him being able to take his pick of females in TC. 

"What makes you think Alec wanted me for his mate before the baby, Kat," she asked trying to stem her growing panic.

Kat grimaced in surprise and glanced sideways at her. "Every body knew he wanted you for his mate, Max.  Didn't you? she asked in astonishment.  Max, already emotionally drained from her encounter with Logan, feeling more and more out of her depth and now really afraid that she might not be pregnant, tried unsuccessfully to choke back her tears.

"Why would he?" she wept, "its not as if I was ever very nice to him." 

"Well, he did, Max," Kat, said soothingly, as she pulled through the gates into TC.  "Why do you think he stuck around in Seattle?"  His instinct to find us would have been strong, what other reason would he have had for staying here?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec looked up as soon as she came into headquarters.  She's been crying again. He could still see the traces on her face plus he could smell her distress from across the room. That fucking prick.

Kat's upset too, he realized watching Steve come away from the group he was working with and make his way over to them. He watched Kat turn into Steve's chest as he put his arm around her. 

Max, watching Alec approach, searched his face to gauge his mood.  He's not still angry with me, she realized in relief. Smiling at her, Alec made his way over across the room to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Bad, was it, Max," he asked, stroking her hair as she rested against him.

"Yeah, he didn't take it well," she said quietly, hugging his waist and choking back her emotions. Alec's hard eyes met Steve's. 

Arm around her, he walked them into his office and sitting down, pulled her onto his lap.

"Well its done now, Max, you don't have to worry about him anymore."  Now he's ours to sort out, he thought grimly, as he stroked her hair.

"Yes, she agreed, in a small voice.  "I'm sorry about this morning, Alec, sometimes I don't know why I behave like I do. You were right to be cautious. I'm sorry," she repeated, her words muffled into his chest.

Alec's eyes widened incredulously, he was right to be cautious of Logan? She was sorry? No more furious irrational defence of Logan? What the hell had happened since this morning, just what had that bastard said to her?

"So what happened, then, Max?" he probed tentatively as he shifted her more comfortably.

She was quiet for a so long he thought she wasn't going to answer him.

"It wasn't really what he said to me, I don't care about that," she replied finally, quickly suppressing her doubts about the baby.

"But he was really insulting and rude to Kat when I insisted she stayed."

Another bad judgement call, Logan, Alec thought grimly.

"He was insulting about everyone," she mumbled, I had no idea he felt like that."  

Confused, she tried to sift through her thoughts. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it. She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. It seems like everything she'd ever thought to be true and constant in her life had been either a lie or not what she'd thought.  People she thought she knew were not who they seemed.  She didn't know where she was, the unfamiliar feelings of helplessness and inadequacy were disorientating and frightening. 

Even the baby she thought she was going to have might not be real. She wasn't as in touch with herself or her instincts as other transgenic females, she hadn't taken a test, the baby could be something else she'd gotten wrong, misinterpreted.  At least before, even with everything in turmoil, she had thought there was still Alec and the baby.  But if there's no baby, Alec might not want her for his mate. Then what would she do?  Her thoughts chaotic, her panic rising, she tried to swallow the fear clogging her throat and hold back her tears.

She had been quite for along time as he stroked her hair. He could feel her agitation and how upset she was and now he could smell her fear.  He cursed himself again for letting her go without him.  What the fuck had the bastard said to her?

"Max, what's wrong? What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not," she said, sitting up.  I'm just tired," she answered wanly.  "Just worried about things in general, the baby, being pregnant, nothing specific.  She heard her own voice catch when she mentioned the baby and watched his worried eyes sharpen. "Really, I'm alright, Alec, I'm just feeling a bit drained, that's all," she added standing up.

He grabbed her hand as she went to move away from him, "Max wha…"

"Alec," Steve interrupted, pushing open the door.

Standing up, he held onto her hand as she tried to pull away from him.

"What, Steve?" he demanded impatiently.

"That unfinished business? Tavis and I are just heading out to sort it out now."  His eyes were hard on Alec's.

Good, he knows what was said, Alec thought. Kat told him what happened.  

"No," he snapped back, "that business will have to wait. Then we'll both sort it together. Later," he ordered.

Max, distractedly watching the byplay, wondered what was happening as Steve stared defiantly back at him.

"Later," Alec repeated, his eyes hard and unwavering as they met the angry defiance in Steve's.

"I thought Biggs was your 2nd?" she asked curiously, watching Steve's disgruntled retreat."

"No, it's Steve," Alec replied, sighing.  That bastard is still causing me trouble even though he's out of her life.

"Biggs filled in for a while when Steve was transferred to another Unit."  

"Why are you worried about the baby, Max?  Are you worrying about us not being able to keep it safe?" he asked, his concerned eyes resting on her before he pulled her back into his arms.

"No, I'm not.  Telling Logan was just very draining."  Quietly, she rested against him.  She didn't want to loose this, she thought anxiously, her arms clinging to his waist. For the first time since she was separated from her siblings, she felt like she belonged. Like she was part of something. It felt so right, he'd always felt right to her, even when she was terrified of how he made her feel, he was still comfortable, familiar. 

She couldn't loose him she thought miserably, as he stroked her back soothingly. She could feel the baby, she knew it was there. She was pregnant, she reassured herself, she couldn't have got that wrong.  But she couldn't stem the flood of self-doubt and then the fear it generated.

He could smell her fear again, he had never smelt fear on her before it and he didn't like it. Logan, he thought with loathing.  It's got to have something to do with him.  

"Tell me what's wrong, Max?" he tried again.

"Nothing, I'm fine." All I have to do is get a pregnancy testing kit and then she'd know, she thought, feeling miserably inadequate that once again she didn't know something basic that other transgenic just knew instinctively.  

"I've got something I've got to do in town.  So I'll see you later, Alec," she said, disengaging herself from him.   He reluctantly let her go.

"Yeah, alright Max.  I'll walk out with you.  I need to catch Steve."

"He watched in frustration as she walked away.  How was it possible to feel so close to her one minute and yet so distant the next? He would have much preferred her to tell him what was wrong herself but if she wouldn't.  At least Kat would have told Steve what had happened.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, Max," Todd greeted as he fell in beside her.

"Hey, Max," Tavis grinned from the other side.

Glancing sideways at the two of them, she felt she should be pissed at them but after seeing the way Logan had behaved today, she couldn't really summon up enough genuine indignation.

"Hey," she greeted cheerlessly.  

"What do you two want?" she demanded exasperatedly, when they were still with her as she exited TC. 

"Nothing Max we're just your out of TC guard.  Alec's said we don't have to do the old sneak and creep thing now you know about us," Tavis replied, grinning.

Shit, shit I'd forgotten about this she thought angrily. She wasn't buying a pregnancy test with them breathing down her neck.  It was bad enough she couldn't tell without the stupid test.  She wasn't letting the whole of TC know how clueless she was.

"Don't need you guys, so you can forget it for today? Go back to TC," she ordered imperiously.

"Can't do that, Max," you get the same treatment as every other female.  Except your lucky enough to get us. Its usually the lower ranks that get guard duty, but because you've always got into so much shit, you've always had me. 

"Yeah, and thanks to him, you've now got me as well," added a disgruntled Todd.  

"Ah, stop ya bellyaching what's a few extra guard duties now that we're mobilising and finally starting to fight back?" Tavis snapped back enthusiastically.

How the hell am I doing to get rid of these two oafs? She thought impatiently, her mind on the pregnancy test. Mobilising, fighting back, she heard suddenly, tuning into what they were saying.

"How is the planning coming along, anyway guys?" she asked innocently, her mind suddenly buzzing.  Mobilizing, fighting back. What is Alec planning? She wondered with trepidation.

"Great, Max.  We've had so many new arrivals since we started broadcasting and once we change the message and tell them that 494 has now taken command and we are launching an offensive, then they'll come in droves."

"When are you changing the broadcast?" she inquired interestedly.  What broadcast? she thought, her mind racing the pregnancy test forgotten.

"It was supposed to be today, but that's been put on hold," Tavis replied, glancing at her sideways, suddenly going quiet."

This one reminds me of Alec, Max thought, as she watched Tavis's face close down, and realizing that source of information had just dried up.

Turning on her heel, she started back towards TC.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So is that all of it, Steve?

"Yeah, nasty bastard, where the fuck does he get off talking to women like that?" Steve answered.

Alec grunted in reply as they made their way up the side of Logan's building.  Typical Logan shit, plus nasty included but it still didn't give him much of an insight into why he smelt fear on Max today.

"You embed the message, Steve and I'll deal with Logan," Alec instructed, as they went over the windowsill and into Logan's bedroom.

Making there way through the apartment into the living room, Steve went to the computer and Alec continued on, in search of Logan.  He found him in the kitchen, bent over his stove.  Alec stood in the doorway watching him.  This fucker had caused him so much grief and worry over the last year, risking Max's life time and time again for his half-baked crusade, some nights his dreams of ripping out Logan's heart had been as vivid as his dreams of Max in his bed.

Hearing what Logan had said to both Max and Kat had infuriated him and he had been eager to get here and finally sort him out.  But looking at him now, he suddenly just wanted to turn around and leave.  Logan had no more power to hurt Max and therefore he was irrelevant, no longer a threat, but he still had to be warned.  Except now instead of relishing it, Alec just wanted to be back in TC.

"You know why I'm here?" he asked, his hard voice cut the silence. 

Logan spun around in shock, the knife he had been chopping with poised in front of him.

Alec eyed it disdainfully, his cold, deadly eyes flicking back to Logan's.

Logan wisely decided to put the knife down. 

"I asked you a question, do you know why I'm here?"

"I haven't the faintest…"

Logan hadn't seen him move but his hand was now around his throat, restricting his air supply.

"I'll ask you again, do you know why I'm here?"

Logan nodded, his hands going to Alec's at his throat.

"She is mine now.  In our way that means that not only does she sleep in my bed, but I protect her. Never again speak to her or any other Transgenic woman the way you spoke today, his voice was low and his eyes deadly as they pinned Logan's.

Releasing Logan's throat, he walked to the door.  "You're nothing more than an animal, Alec, she'll see that one day and then she'll come back to me," Logan gasped, rubbing his throat.

Alec turned at the door "She's back with her own kind now, Logan.  She is my mate and she is having my child. I keep what is mine," he added, his cold eyes intent on Logan.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When she got back to TC, she was told Alec and Steve had gone off somewhere. However, Joshua had, at Alec's instruction, found them an apartment in TC and proudly took her to see it. 

Max, now not only worried about the baby, but also about Alec's plans for TC, was feeling increasingly distressed and sat dejectedly on the bed, looking around her.  She didn't want to live here, she thought unhappily, looking around the shabby apartment, she loved living with OC. Who did he think he was arranging this without even asking her, just expecting her to go along because he wanted it. 

And why hadn't he told her what was happening in TC?  Everybody else knew, she thought indignantly, didn't he trust her, she wondered? Why hasn't he told me anything? Was that what he was worrying about last night? Feeling completely overwhelmed, dejected and miserable, the tears streaked down her face as she gave in to the emotion she had been fighting all day. 

Alec found her two hours later, curled uncomfortably on the couch, asleep. Shit, it's like a refrigerator in here, he thought, touching his fingers to her icy cheek.  And she's been crying again. Disgustedly, her looked round the apartment. It was pretty good for what was available, but still not good enough. Fixing up decent living spaces had to be one of their first priorities once they had sorted out the military issues. 

At least the bed looks clean, he thought as he bent to pick her up. "Alec, I thought you were never coming," she whispered sleepily." He felt a wave of tenderness for her as she blinked sleepily at him and snuggled into his chest.

"Yeah, well I'm here now, Max, lets get you to bed, its freezing out here." Laying her on the bed he removed her boots and with her lethargic assistance he helped her remove her clothes. Quickly removing his own he got into bed beside her and pulled her into his arms.  Shit it can't be good to get this cold when your pregnant, he worried, rubbing her cold body.

"Max, why didn't you go to bed?  You're freezing."

"I was waiting for you, I needed to talk to you.  I didn't want to sleep here.  But I must have fallen asleep anyway," she mumbled, feeling like an idiot."  

"Yeah, Max, I know this place is rough, but I'll get it fixed up as soon as I've got time and some guys to spare.  What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, hoping she was going to tell him what was worrying her.

Rolling onto his side, he propped his head on his hand as she lay on her back beside him.  "Are you worried about the baby?" he asked, searching her face as he placed his hand comfortingly on her stomach.

Max's hand instinctively went to his, were it rested on her.  She felt another wave of fear that the baby that already had a place in her heart, the baby she felt was so real may be nothing more than something else she had got wrong, had misinterpreted. 

He smelt it again, fear. Fuck, he hated that scent on her. "Tell me, Max?" he probed softly, his eyes warm and concerned as they gazed into hers.  Max stared back at him, her thoughts in complete panic.  He must already think she was an idiot with everything she'd already gotten so wrong.  What will he think of her if this is just another thing she'd managed to screw up?  

God, and to think she used to think he was the screw up. When Kat said Max didn't know him, she'd got that one right.  Hell, she didn't even know herself.  Kat had also said talk to him, as her eyes roamed his face, she remembered something else Kat had said.

"Alec, Kat said you wanted me for your mate before my heat."  

She watched him blink at her and then she watched surprise, panic, wariness and finally resignation flash behind his eyes. Suppressing her smile, she wondered if he knew when his eyes were unguarded like this how easily it was for her to read him.

Putting her other hand on top of his on her stomach, she gazed expectantly up at him.

"Yeah that's right," he agreed carefully, his eyes unwavering and watchful on hers. 

She stared back at him.  Instinct told her he didn't want to talk about this, so she let it sit.  She needed to think about it herself.

"I haven't had a pregnancy test," she said quietly, her eyes moving off his and fixing somewhere over his shoulder.

He waited expectantly for her to go on. When he didn't answer her eyes darted back to his.  "So?" he asked at a loss, "why would you need to do that now?"

But things had started to click in his head. Kat had told Steve something about this. Logan had told Max you couldn't just feel a baby in your body, and she was being ridiculous if she thought she could. Alec had dismissed it as more of Logan's arrogant bigoted assumption that if it wasn't common to his experience, then it didn't exist. But obviously Max hadn't, she'd taken it to heart.  Once again, Logan had made her doubt herself.

"There might not be a baby." 

She said it so quietly that without his transgenic hearing, he wouldn't have heard her. He felt like laughing in relief.  This was all she was worried about. She might doubt she was pregnant, but he had no doubt.  Just the weird changes in her behaviour were enough to assure him that there was still something happening with her hormones. Plus her scent had been different ever since her heat finished. 

She really wanted this baby.   His baby, he realized incredulously, feeling overwhelmed.  This wasn't just something he had saddled her with and that she was trying to make the most of, she really wanted it.  The thought that she might not be pregnant was really upsetting her.  His eyes went to her uncertain, anxious face. 

She could feel him looking at her and hesitantly, she gazed back.  "I suppose you think I'm an idiot, Alec?

"Why, would I think that?" he asked carefully. His lips gentle as they traced her cheekbone.

"Because I don't know things that other transgenic women instinctively know."  

"Yes, you do, Max, you know you're pregnant just as I know you are.  What Logan said has made you doubt yourself, but it hasn't changed anything.  You are still pregnant, all the things that alerted you in the first place are still there."  

"Close your eyes."  He combed his fingers through her silky hair, his lips quirking as she eyed him suspiciously. "Do it, Max," he whispered into her ear. "All right, now.  Let your instincts and your body feel all the things you felt when you first knew you were pregnant," his lips on her ear, he moved his hand out from under hers on her stomach and placed his over the top of hers.

Feeling his solid body beside her, his large warm hand over the top of hers and his lips softly resting against her ear, Max felt her panic and fear start to subside. As calm infused her, she thought about how she had felt when she had first suspected she was pregnant.  Smiling, she remembered how she had doubted herself then too. She hadn't trusted herself then either. Not until another pregnant X5 had verified that she felt the same way.

Alec was right, they were still there, all the markers in her body that told her she was pregnant. Plus, she now had a deep down atavistic awareness that the baby was there.

She could feel his hot breath and soft lips on her ear.  "So did it work?" he asked, dipping his tongue into the warm hollow behind her ear.

"Hmm," she murmured. 

TBC

Please review feedback is very encouraging and makes me feel good.


	19. Chapter 19 Rated R For Sexual Content

Thank you teegs for the betaring.

**Chapter Nineteen**

Alec glanced with resignation at his watch. Fuck, at this rate he'd be even more tired when he got up than he'd been when he went to bed. He usually had no trouble sleeping but the urgency of making TC safe was weighing heavy on him and he couldn't still his thoughts enough to go to sleep. At least Max was sleeping.* Affectionately as he nuzzled his face into the warm curve of her neck and her sweet familiar scent surrounded him.

He started thinking about how upset she'd been when she'd thought she wasn't pregnant. She really wanted their baby and he was beginning to feel hope that she wanted more from their mating than just the easiest way to best care for the baby. 

Initially, when she had told him she was pregnant, most of his pleasure had been because it increased the likelihood that she would chose him for her mate. Now, for the first time, he was thinking about the baby itself. His baby that Max wanted, that they both wanted. Carefully he eased her onto her back and pulled the covers back.

Gently, possessively, he curved his hand around her stomach, inside her was a combination of Max and himself, tiny and defenceless, his to protect. Boy or girl, whatever he'd fathered, he would keep them safe. He or she would have a good childhood, full of love and the things children should have nothing like his or Max's, he vowed silently, stroking her stomach. 

Max, cold and missing Alec's warm body, woke slowly up. She felt his hand on her stomach and watched his intent preoccupation as he moved his hand on her. 

"Yours, Alec."

It came unbidden to her lips, she didn't know where it came from but she knew it was right.

"Yes, " his deep voiced agreed immediately, his eyes moving slowly off her abdomen to meet hers.

'My eyes aren't human, Max, and sometimes when I'm operating on my instincts its more apparent than at other times.' His words flashed through her brain. His eyes always so changeable glowed green and gold at her. So beautiful she thought, as she gazed mesmerized into their depths. He watched her hesitant swallow before his gaze moved back up to mesh with her dark, wild eyes as they glowed back at him. 

"You are too. Mine," he reiterated, his eyes locked with hers. 

"Yes," she agreed. She felt his hand on her throat as he turned her face and he rubbed his cheek on hers.

Something had passed between them she didn't know what, but something. Her instincts are reawakening, Alec thought, knowing exactly what had passed between them. 

Her eyes fluttering languorously, she felt the velvety friction of his cheek rubbing against hers and the liquid heat of desire for him strong and flowing through her body. Like her heat, she thought, bemused.

"Alec, " she turned her face toward him her lips moving across his cheek seeking his mouth with hers. Running her hands through his hair, as she held his mouth on hers, she plundered it, her tongue moving frantically in his. Squirming, she wriggled herself underneath him as she pulled him over the top of her. "It feels like heat Alec," she moaned in his ear.

"Yeah, I know, Max, it's the same for me," he groaned against her throat. She parted her thighs for him and he settled between her legs.

"Why?" she panted, her tongue frantic in his ear.

"I think it's because of what just happened. Our instinct reached back when that happens all your senses are heightened. Your body is on hyper alert, super aware of everything. That's probably why," he murmured, biting her earlobe.

She felt his hands slide under her and lift her buttocks as he ground himself against her. Her eyes locked with his she watched him drag his tongue down her body, over her breastbone, across her stomach, through the soft curls at the apex of her legs and she felt his warm breath as his tongue moved through her moist soft folds. 

She could feel her own heart beating frantically as she looked down her body to where he knelt between her legs. Her shoulders were still on the bed and he slid his hands under her and lifted her up to his mouth. Everything receded except Alec. She arched in anticipation when she felt his hot breath and the gentle scrape and suck of is teeth as he explored her and she could feel the strength in his hands under her as they tightened, pulling her closer to him. 

Her scent was intoxicating and her hot, wet, heat surrounded him. He could feel her rocking in his hands while she panted and moaned as he continued to tease her, but kept his mouth from her clit. 

"Please…"

He pulled away. "Please what, Max?" He watched her thrashing head still, and her sultry languorous eyes found his. She looked up at him and read what he wanted in his intense green eyes.

"I want your mouth on me, Alec. Now."

She saw the wild flare in his eyes before he dipped his head and his mouth closed over her.

His tongue teased and tormented her. Her whole focus became its next stroke across her engorged, sensitive flesh. She could feel tension starting to build. Sensation after sensation hit her as he teased, suckled and tasted her, pushing her on. Wiping everything from consciousness but the pleasure of his tongue.

She had started to buck and wither the minute his tongue touched her clit, the heady scent of her invaded his senses as he heard her soft gasps. Her feet were planted on the bed and every time he stroked his tongue across her she rocked up into his mouth. Shifting his grip on her, he slid first one finger and then two inside her. She moaned his name as he thrust inside her and his tongue drove her on. The tension unbearable Max felt her muscles grip and spasm around his fingers as her body shuddered into her release.

Kneeling between her legs, he could still feel her body trembling as he smoothed his hands over her stomach and up to cup her breasts. His eyes were intent on her flushed face and her still glazed and unfocused eyes. 

She moaned his name as she slid her hands up his arms and grabbing his head she pulled him close enough to kiss. Her hands playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while her tongue duelled with his. He was his own seductive taste, plus a blend of her. She kissed him long and lingeringly. Finally breaking the kiss she pulled back for air. Brown eyes captured green, her breathing heavy as she took air back into her lungs. 

"I want you inside me now." 

Holding her gaze he gently rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he watched her eyes flutter. She moaned as he rubbed the pad of his thumb across the rigid tip, dipping his head, he nibbled and sucked her soft fullness before closing his mouth over her swollen nipple. 

"Now, Alec," she demanded. Reaching down between them, her hand closed around him. He lifted off her and looked down between their bodies as she impatiently stroked him. "Now," she insisted, biting his shoulder as she thrust her pelvis at him and wriggled to manoeuvre him inside her. 

"Yeah, Max," he grunted. Sliding his hands under her he rose to his knees and lifted her up to him. Her feet anchored to the bed she thrust her hips up to him.

She could feel the tip of him probing and she thrust up to meet him as he surged into her. He set the rhythm, hard and fast, familiar, and she arched into him meeting his every thrust and countering with one of her own while she watched his rapt face. The sweat formed on him as she felt it dewing damply on herself. She knew he was close and she watched droplets of sweat fly off him as he threw his head back and plunged wildly into her, his breathing heavy and strained. Her release hit her hard and she heard herself screaming his name as her muscles clenched and spasmed around him. Close behind her he grunted low in his throat as he spilled into her.

Max's arms closed around him as he collapsed on top of her. Wrapping his arms around her, keeping her close, he rolled onto his side. His breathing still laboured, she sucked the sweat from his neck as her hands roamed his sweat slick back. She could feel him nuzzling her neck as his body calmed. It wasn't long before she could tell from the even pattern of his breathing that he'd fallen asleep. 

Gently she rolled him off her. Disentangling herself from him she smiled as he spread himself untidily across the bed. Tonight, he'd looked absolutely exhausted it was hardly surprising he'd fallen asleep so quickly she worried. Since her heat started, he'd hardly had any unbroken sleep plus he was still recovering from the shoulder injury. He needed sleep. He wasn't like her, needing very little. 

Although her sleep pattern had changed since she'd started sleeping with him. She knew it was the safety factor. On some level, her primal instincts recognised it was safe to shut down when she slept with him and consequently she slept deeper and felt better when she woke up. Tonight, she'd realized that his instincts also felt safe enough to shut down in her presence. When she touched him, he didn't wake either. For someone whose instincts were as honed as Alec's, she knew that meant something and it made her feel closer to him, more intimately connected. 

Max lay there looking at him as he slept sprawled on his back, his arm flung across the bed. It was only a week and a half since her heat, but so much had changed for her in that time. Never in her life had she ever thought she would be grateful for her heat. But she was. If it hadn't been for heat, she would never have hooked up with Alec. She wouldn't be here now; she'd still be trying to tell herself she wasn't attracted to him. 

Her life would still be lived amongst ordinaries and revolving around Logan and his Eyes Only missions. Her eyes widened as her mind finely realized what her subconscious had been trying to tell her for a very long time. She had been deeply unhappy trying to fit herself around Logan and his world. When Alec had come into her life, so alive and so familiar, he'd flushed her discontent and previously unconscious yearning out off her subconscious and into her conscious mind. She'd certainly punished him for that, she reflected uncomfortably.

Who would have thought that so many things would change so quickly for her and that she would find herself so happy in such a small space of time? She couldn't ever remember feeling this happy. He'd changed so many things for her. So many things she was still unsure, about and still needed to clarify, but one thing she was sure of was the passion and attraction between them. She'd never felt passion like that with anybody else. She didn't care were they lived, she realized, gazing around their shabby apartment as long as she was with him it didn't matter. 

With a heartfelt sigh, she moved under his outstretched arm until she could feel the warm hard strength of him pressed against the length of her body. Propping her head on her hand, her eyes lingered on the lush darkness of his lashes, his full sensuous lips, and his peaceful face, so innocent and cute when he was asleep. 

But he wasn't innocent she reflected dryly and he was much more dangerous than cute, she ran her eyes down his powerful frame. Her mind flashed with disquiet to the talk she'd heard about an offensive. She'd wanted to talk to him about it, she needed to know what he was planning, but every time she broached the subject they seemed to get sidetracked making love. But it was Sunday tomorrow and when he woke up she was going to keep him here until he had told her what he was planning. She may not like it, but she liked not knowing, even less. 

Her back to him, she lay her head on his outstretched arm and snuggled backwards. Still asleep, he rolled onto his side and curved his body around hers. She smiled happily to herself as his arms closed around her, pulling her back against him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec snapped into instant consciousness. It was dark outside, early morning daylight was just starting to seep into the room. Yawning, he turned his cold cheek into Max's hair, pulled her closer into the warmth of his body, closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. He didn't have to get up this early and he was still tired. 

Ten minutes later he was still wide-awake and he realized he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. He needed the time to think anyway. Resigned he started to run everything through his head.

He had no problem with the military aspects. Everything was more or less sorted and ready for implementation, barring a little fine-tuning here and there. It was all the other problems the ones outside the scope of his military training that were causing him the most headaches. First there was the nightmare of deciding whether to keep women in the fighting Units. Not to mention what he was supposed to do after the fighting, when he'd secured Seattle and made it safe. Then what? He had no real experience of government and in fact he had very little experience of relating to ordinaries. On the surface, he'd integrated, but he still often found himself out of his depth and unknowing of what sort of a response or action was expected of him. 

His Manticore trained response to threat was to kill it, eliminate it. His instinctual response was, for the most part, the same. In the outside world of ordinaries he'd discovered that frequently neither were appropriate so he'd often found himself out of his depth, unable to decide what to do. The combination of the instinctual and the reasoning of ordinaries were still relatively new to him and this was where he had needed Max's help in the past, this was where she was strong. By watching what she did or listening to her complain when he got it wrong, he had learned, but he knew it wouldn't be enough. 

He had the military skills required, but he knew he lacked the skills that would be needed after the fighting. Max had those skills she had spent ten years on the outside, tempering her instinct with the human. If she agreed to help him, he could do what he'd planned. But before that could happen, she would have to trust him enough to let him do his job. 

He could feel her start to stir and moving closer into her back, he whispered soothingly in her ear. His arms comforted her, hoping she would settle back down again. It was too early to get up yet, they had at least another couple of hours they could sleep.

Max, drowsily realizing he was awake snuggled back against him. "You should be still asleep, Alec, it's early yet and I know how tired you were."

"Hmm." he agreed distractedly.

"God it's freezing in here."

"Hmm," he agreed again.

Smiling to herself, she turned around and settled herself on her back beside him. Their gazes caught and she smiled at him as he gazed absently back at her, his mind again on his earlier thoughts.

Watching his eyes as he gazed distractedly at her, Max saw the play of emotion across them and knew that whatever his thought were, they were worrying him. Her eyes fell to his bottom lip as he chewed it with his teeth. He only ever does that when he can't figure something out**.***

"So this mated thing, Transgenic style, Alec, what are the benefits besides the sexual? Do I get to know what's going on in your head? Is that part of the deal?" Her face serious now her eyes held his. 

"Yeah, of course," he answered, smiling blandly as he leaned over her and started to kiss her neck.

"Don't do that," she pushed him roughly off her, onto his back.

"What, kiss you?" he asked disbelievingly.

"No, smile at me in that empty faced way and then try and distract me with sex. Is that all you want from me, Alec?" 

She watched his face close down. 

"I was just getting ready to get up anyway, Max. I've got a hellva lot to do today and was going to get an early start." Better to get out of here than to end up fighting with her. He didn't feel up to explaining and justifying himself, he was just too tired. The longer he could put this conversation of the better as far as he was concerned. 

"Don't be ridiculous, Alec," she fumed, "It's 6 o'clock in the morning, and its Sunday there is no reason for you to get up this early. It's freezing outside, you aren't going any where." As he sat up, she grabbed his shoulder and jerked him back down.  Angrily she slung her leg and her arm across him, anchoring him to the bed.

Alec lay there immobile. *Okay.* Blinking, he looked down at her tense angry body spread across him. 

"Nobody, else will be up yet," she ground out through gritted teeth. She was right it was Sunday and his first meeting with Steve wasn't until 9.30. He really didn't want to get up and go to his office when all he really had to do was think anyway. He would much prefer to do that here in comfort. Warm Max spread across him was infinitely preferable, even if she was rigid and fuming. Now if she would just let it rest and maybe go back to sleep, he thought hopefully. She was quiet for a long time. Cautiously, he closed his eyes. 

"I only wanted to know what you're worried about." She whispered miserably.

He opened his eyes.

"What's so wrong about that? Everybody else knows what's going on. When were you going to tell me? Never?" She heard the quaver in her voice and if made her angry. 

She could feel his body tense under hers and suddenly all she wanted to do was get up and go home, back to OC's. He would rather get up in the freezing cold and go to his office than stay here and talk to her. She knew none of the other mated males would be up and prowling around headquarters at this ridiculous hour.

"I'm gonna get off you, Alec, don't you dare get out of this bed." 

She spun herself off him to the far edge of the bed. He looked across at the back of her head and her stiff back. Laying stiffly beside him her anger gone, Max felt a tight pain in her chest and a lump in her throat as she fought to hold back her tears. She wasn't going to cry over this. If he didn't trust her that was his problem, if all he thought she was good for was sex that was his problem too. 

What was so wrong with wanting to help? With caring about what was worrying him? What was so wrong with that? There was already so much she didn't know. Did he expect that to continue? Did he expect to share nothing with her? To keep her in the dark like she didn't matter? She felt her throat tighten and the tears streamed soundlessly down her face.

"Max." 

**_*_**_Fuck*_ he knew that scent from her heat. He couldn't hear her but he knew she was crying again.

Feeling numb, trying to swallow her tears and feeling the familiar ache of loneliness seeping back into her heart, she lay there hoping he would just let it go. 

"I'm sorry, Max." 

She didn't want to hear it. What was there to apologise for? Sorry for what? He didn't have to talk to her if he didn't want to, nor did he have to trust her. And why wouldn't he expect sex from her? After all that was the relationship they had. They were good together sexually, he'd told her that during her heat. 

"Sorry fo…"

"Don't say it, Alec. You have nothing to be sorry for. It doesn't matter. I'm just going to go back to sleep for a couple of hours." 

Miserably, she wept silently into the pillow. Maybe if he told her and they talked about it, he wouldn't be so worried and he would start sleeping better. He was no use to anyone exhausted like he'd been yesterday. All this brooding he did about things wasn't going to solve anything and usually ended up getting him into trouble of some sort. 

He didn't want to leave it like this, but he could sense she didn't want him to touch her. During her heat, when she'd been upset, it had been sufficient to just, soothe her and make love to her. He looked longingly at her back, maybe he should try it, and maybe it would work again. Other than leave her to cry herself to sleep, what else could he do? 

It can't be good for the baby for her to be distressed like this he thought guiltily. Moving close behind her, he touched his lips to her ear. 

"Max."

His body was now pressing against hers and his deep husky voice was in her ear. He felt her go rigid. "I don't want to do that now, Alec." He wasn't the only one, who could blur, he was reminded, as he blinked at her standing in the middle of the room, pulling his tee shirt over her head. 

"I'm awake now, I think I'll have a shower and get up." 

Max stood hugging herself forlorn and freezing in the middle of the bathroom. She didn't want to fight with him and nor, she now realized, her eyes on the door, did she really want to go to OC's. 

Waiting for her to come out of the shower he thought about what to do. He knew he couldn't keep avoiding her questions and in fact what she wanted to know would soon be common knowledge across the whole of TC. But she had only been his for such a short time, and he loved this closeness they had. He liked the expectation that when he went to bed at night it would be with her and when he woke up in the morning it would also be with her. He hadn't wanted to do anything that might jeopardise that, so he'd avoided her questions, hoping that the more time they spent together and the closer she felt to him, the more likely she would be to trust him once everything started coming together.

But it looked like his avoidance tactic had backfired. She was not only angry with him but he'd made her cry as well. He was used to her anger and had developed ways to protect himself if it was unjustly directed at him. He had also learned to enjoy it if it was over something he'd deliberately done or said just to piss her off just so he could watch the sparks fly. And he'd also learned to apologise if he was in the wrong and had made her justifiably angry. 

But since her heat he seemed to have developed this new talent for upsetting her and making her cry. He hated it. It was the exact opposite of how he wanted her to feel when she was with him. He had only avoided talking to her because he hadn't wanted to fight with her. He hadn't wanted anything to upset the delicate new understanding he hoped they were developing. Now it seemed he'd not only done that but he had also managed to hurt her feelings and make her cry.

When she came out of the shower he was still in bed. She didn't really think he would have gone off to Headquarters without showering but she still felt relieved he was still here. While she'd cried herself into exhaustion in the shower, it had given her time to think. If at the moment, he only saw her as someone he had good sex with, she would have to accept that. She couldn't make him talk to her, if he didn't want to, neither could she make him trust her.

She'd been thinking about how he'd admitted he'd wanted her for his mate before her heat and she'd been remembering all the things he'd done for her, all the times he'd been there for her, all the things he'd put up with from her. He did care about her, she knew that, it was apparent in everything he did for her. If sex was the only way they could connect, then it would have to do. It wasn't as if she had anything to complain about, she didn't. Sex with Alec was hardly a hardship and when he did make love to her, she knew that he cared about her.

My tee-shirts always look so much better on her, he thought, as he watched her come out of the bathroom. She came over to the bed and perched awkwardly on the edge. She's going to let me fix it he realized relief flooding through him. She was facing away from him and he could only see her profile but she had her bottom lip between her teeth and he'd only ever seen her do that when she was nervous, or unsure, and he'd only ever seen her unsure of herself, since her heat.

He felt a momentary flush of panic, she was so different now, it was so easy to upset her and he didn't want to fuck it up again. Tentatively he stroked the back of his hand down her arm.

"I'm sorry for hurting your feelings, Max, for making you fee…"

"Alec?" she interrupted him, stopping his apology with her kiss. "I didn't want to fight," she whispered, into his mouth. "I don't like you worried, I only wanted to help."

"Yeah, Max, I'm sorry. Returning her sweet kiss he pulled her back into bed with him. He felt a rush of emotion for her. She didn't like him worried; she was worried about him. When she said things like that it made him feel so close to her. It gave him hope that it wasn't just his wishful thinking, but that she was coming to care for him, like he cared for her. 

His heart full, he hugged her happily. "I was thinking about our baby and all the other pregnancies in TC at the moment."

"Were you?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah," lying on his side, he settled his hand on the warm, round softness of her stomach. "There are quite a few pregnant women now. In the old Manticore days, no matter what your physical state, if ordered to fight, you fought. Out here, we have a choice. There is a really strong feeling that women should be taken out of fighting units."

"Pregnant women?" 

"Yeah, it started with that," warily his eyes moved off hers. "But male opinion across the board is that because of the 3:1 ratio we should take them all out, not risk loosing any more." 

That wasn't the only reason, the instinctive feeling was that no male wanted his mate fighting unless there was no other choice. Manticore had given them no choice. Out here, it was different. They had enough males now to form the fighting units they would need and more were arriving daily there was no need for women to fight. But he wasn't telling Max that and nor, he guessed, would any of the other males be telling their mates. They'd all had enough experience to realize that when male instinct collided with female instincts, theirs usually took the battering.

"Female opinion?" she asked, sadly, thinking this was something else she'd missed.

Alec laughed. "Don't know Max. So far, you're it. We've only talked about it amongst ourselves. No one's been game enough to actually ask the women. They're trying to force me into deciding at a command level. What do you think?" he asked cautiously.

"Cowards." Max giggled. 

"Yeah," he agreed laughing. Surprised at her reaction.

"So what do you think?" he asked again, kissing her shoulder. She studied his serious face. If he was fighting, she wanted to be there at his back, was her first instinctive reaction, but she knew the issue was bigger than that and so did he. Their survival didn't just depend on what happened on the battlefield, it would also depended on how many of them survived to breed.

"What do you think, Alec?" she batted back.

"Hey, I asked you first." 

"Yeah, but you're the Commander."

"So you think it's my call, then?" He watched her think about it. She never ceased to surprise him. He'd thought she would tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he had no right to be making decisions for her or any of the women.

"Yeah, I do. I think that if two thirds of us want it then you have to take it seriously. But you can't force it on the women either."

"No" he agreed sighing. "Instinct tells me to take them out of the Units, Manticore training tells me to leave them in but…" his eyes moved off hers for a minute and he shrugged. The politics of it all were nightmarish, his instincts were with every other male in TC. He didn't want Max fighting, the whole point of making their stand here was to make it safe for their families. What was the point if their women and their children were endangered in the process? 

He knew that the only sensible decision had to be to take the women out of the fighting units, but how the hell was he supposed to do that in a manner that would be acceptable to their women?

"You don't really know what to do? Do you?" 

She remembered what Kat had said about him sometimes not knowing what to do if he doubted his instinctive response or he couldn't fit it within his Manticore training. She thought about some of his screw-ups and some of the basic things she'd had to explain to him when Manticore first burned. She remembered how impatient and scornful she had been and once again felt the now familiar feelings of shame and regret. No wonder he was reluctant to tell her what was bothering him.

"Nah, not really," he admitted, his eyes fixed on a spot past her shoulder. 

"Hmm… you could let each woman decide for herself."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," he agreed. This was probably what he would have to do and just hope like fuck that their mates would be able to talk them round. But where did that leave him with the unmated females? And there were more of them?

"But if you do that, then most, if not all, will probably decide to fight. Because they wouldn't want to be seen to be disloyal if other women are fighting and also because they won't want to let their units down."

"Yeah," he agreed. He hadn't even thought of that.

"You could let the males put their concerns to us and then we women could all decide as a group what our rolls will be. But we would need to be very clear on the plan. We would need to know you have the numbers and the strategy to handle the fighting without us." Not that it mattered to her cause no matter what she'd be with him.

"When does this need to be decided?" 

"Now, I've been putting it off but we have to start training so I need to know how we're going to reform the fighting units. The planning is mostly done, it's just this that was holding me up."

This was what he's been worried about. He's okay with the military stuff, just not as comfortable with this kind of decision. Its like Kat said he does need me_._ Feeling a lot more confident, she wondered if she should ask if he wanted her to talk to the women. Immediately, she felt the flush of embarrassment she always felt when she thought about the debacle of her heat and what could have happened. Her newly felt confidence faded as she thought about what Cece had said about her not knowing how to be transgenic. Maybe she'd be more of a hindrance than a help to him, she thought sadly, so she said nothing. 

He wanted to ask her if she would speak to the women for him, but he didn't want to push his luck, so he said nothing. Although she seemed to have tacitly accepted that there was going to be fighting, he still wasn't sure if she realized he didn't intend to continue the half arsed, rear guard, action that had served as their defence up until now. 

He looked down at her pensive face as she gnawed her lip. What was most amazing to Alec was that Max and him had not only talked without fighting, but he now had a solution for something that had been worrying him. She had given her help freely, without even being asked, he felt a wave of gratitude and love for her. He brought his hand up and gently stroked his thumb across her cheek. Lowering his head he brushed his lips softly over hers "Thanks for that, Max." he whispered, his breath warm against her lips.

Putting her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer. Her chin on his shoulder, she hid her grinning face from his sight. It wasn't just sex he did need her. She could help him and through him she could help her own kind. The sense of floundering disorientation that she had felt since she had started to realize how wrong her perceptions and judgements had been about a lot of important things in her life replaced by a sense of hope and optimism she had never felt before. 

TBC 

Thanks for the reviews.  To show how much I appreciate them  I've posting this really quickly.  Hee .  Please keep reviewing it really is motivating.


	20. Chapter 20

This chapter was once again beta'd by the lovely Scarlet.  Thanks again Scarlet.

Chapter Twenty

A Week later

They had all watched their numbers swell in bemusement over the last week, Max more than anyone. They now had three times the numbers they had a week ago. She and Kat had been employed full time just managing the influx. The logistics of finding space and supplies for them was proving to be a nightmare and they were now at the point of crisis. 

"Where the hell is Tavis with those C rations? He said he'd be back by lunchtime, it's not like him to be late. He better not have got himself into shit," Kat added darkly.

"We are going to be in real trouble if he doesn't get those rations." Max glanced around their almost empty warehouse.

"He'll get them, I'm not worried about that.  But he's supposed to be keeping a low profile, just steal the supplies and leave the Base unmolested. Discreet isn't exactly Tav's specialty.  That's what I'm worried about," she added dryly. 

"Who went with Tavis on the supply run, Todd?"

"Biggs, he'll keep him out of trouble. Nothing to worry about, Kat."

"Cece's heat must have finished," Kat smiled at Max. "Speak of the devil," she added, as they watched Tavis, accompanied by a scowling, limping, bleeding Biggs make their way over to them.

"Three trucks outside as ordered, ladies.  Enough C's for 2 weeks.  I'll go out this afternoon and get you some more basic stuff once I've sorted Biggs out," Tavis winked at them.

"I don't need fucking sorting out," Biggs snapped.  I can't fucking believe you got me shot again.  This is the first day out of Cece's heat and I've got a fucking bullet in my leg. Covering your reckless ass again you fucking little prick."

"There's nothing little about my prick.  Speak for yourself, Biggs," Tavis smirked back.

"You were supposed to be discreet about this heist.  Were you sprung Tavis?" Kat demanded curtly.

"Yeah, we had a bit of a problem, but I contained it and that's how Biggs got shot.  But everything is sweet.  We made it look like a run of the mill black market heist.  It can't be tied to us.  I'm just gonna go and report in now, but I'll be back soon.  Don't go anywhere without me, Max," he winked.  He jerked his head and raised his eyebrows at a slouching, bored Todd, who pulled himself upright and gave him a thumbs up signal.

Max couldn't repress her smile as she watched a still bickering Biggs and Tavis depart.  "They remind me of my brothers," she said wistfully.

"Yeah, they're pretty close."  Tav and Tanya were sort of the little brother and sister in our unit everyone looked out for them.  You haven't met Tanya yet she and Ana had been sent to breed and got separated from us when Manticore burned.  We couldn't find them and had to evac without them. We've been looking for them ever since. I think they're probably dead." Max heard the catch in her voice.  

"They haven't been sighted since the escape, Alec has been messaging them for nearly a year and the guys have turned this city upside down looking for them. Tanya was younger than Tav and he saw it as his job to look out for her, and he took it pretty seriously. When we evac'd we had to carry him out unconscious, he wouldn't leave without her or Alec. That's one of the reasons Alec gave him the job of guarding you when he couldn't be around. It gave Tavis something to do other than obsessively looking for Tanya and Ana. 

"You're all pretty close aren't you Kat?"

"Yeah, we are, we had to be or we wouldn't have survived."   Manticore was hard, soulless, merciless slavery. My unit enabled me to endure it, they protected me and they made it bearable, they gave me a reason to want to survive.  Without them many times over the years I would have just given up."

Max's seeing the haunted pain in Kats eyes remembered the same look in Alec's when he had told her it had got a whole lot worse as they got older.

"But we're free now, Max, and Alec will keep us that way.  He will stop them killing us and we will have the lives we dreamed of having when we were children. Won't we?" she asked feverently. Her almost childlike need for reassurance and her complete faith in Alec, for the first time, gave Max a sense of the responsibility he carried. 

Remembering her own childish dreams of a normal life she felt a swell of painful emotion as her eyes locked with Kats "Yes," Max reassured, as she fought to keep her composure.  "Yes we will," she reiterated fiercely. "We will stay free and we will have the lives we dreamed of."

"And your child will be safe and free." Tears running down her face, Kat put her hand on Max's stomach. "You're so lucky Max." 

"Yes, I am," Max agreed, losing the battle with her emotions tears on her own cheeks now. "I'm very lucky."  

"I had to kill mmy baby," Kat stammered, her vulnerable, tragic eyes swinging to Max's. Max struggled to keep the shock from her face. "Steve said we were all going to run and that he would keep it safe but I, I couldn't take the chance that they would catch us.  "You understand that, don't you?" she asked, her pain filled eyes luminous with tears as they gazed pleadingly into Max's.

"Yes, I understand that, Kat." Max understood it only too well, fear for her own baby overwhelming her. Suddenly, she needed to feel Alec's arms around her hear his comforting words of reassurance that their baby would be safe and to again feel his confidence when he told her that they could protect it.

"I knew you would, Max, I knew you'd understand. Nobody else did, but they weren't pregnant," Kat wept.

As Max put her arms around Kat she watched Todd detach himself from the wall and come over to them. Awkwardly, he patted Kat's back Yeah, they're all very close Max thought, thinking of her lost brothers and sisters and keenly feeling the ache in her heart that was always there whenever she thought of them.

Tears streaking down her own face, overwhelmed with the loss of her siblings and now fearful for her own baby, she rocked a grief stricken Kat.

When Todd had come to get him and Steve, Alec had known they were both upset but it was still a shock when he saw them huddled together, silently weeping in the middle of the warehouse.  It was the quiet that was the most unnerving; it seemed to amplify their grief, he thought, as he watched the tears trail soundlessly down Max's face. This is probably good for Kat, he realized, knowing how closely bottled up and protective of her pain she'd been up until now.  

But not good for Max.  The scent of her fear was strong as he detached her from Kat. Turning into him, Max clutched him in relief. His arms went around her and as he murmured reassuringly in her ear she felt her panic start to recede.

His chin resting on her hair, Alec watched sadly as Steve led Kat away. 

"Nothing is going to happen to this baby, Max, he reassured her, rubbing his check on her hair. "Nothing, he added emphatically.  She was still clinging to him tightly, but she had calmed down and the scent of her fear was fading.

"What happened to Kat? she asked, her voice strained 

They'd all tried to block this out, not even think about it, let alone talk about it.  His own sense of failure was raw and ugly whenever he thought about what Kat had done. At the time, he had felt like he'd failed everybody and he had known how much worse Steve had felt. Or he'd thought he'd known.  But now, with a child of his own to protect, he was finally really getting an understanding of just how bad it must have been for Steve. 

"Tell me, Alec?" she asked again, squeezing him tightly, her hands moving under his shirt, her palms flat against the warm skin of his back she pulled him closer into her. "Tell me?" she insisted.  

Max heard the emotion in his voice as he started to talk. "We were still young, they hadn't been mated for very long. Manticore always locked down females during their heat, but we always knew first. We had been really careful to keep them apart and get her into lockdown quickly, but we must have slipped up because she got pregnant."  

"Because we were young, we didn't pick it up, didn't notice anything different. Kat was too scared to tell anyone.  By the time she told Steve, she was four months pregnant. At the time, I thought Steve didn't know. But now I realize he must have."   Alec thought about the changes in Max.  Both her scent and her behaviour and about his instinctive recognition that his child was there.  

Yeah, Steve had known. "But I guess the only way he could deal with it, given our instincts and his powerlessness to protect either of them properly in Manticore, was to pretend it wasn't happening.  Anyway, by the time Kat told him and he had to deal with it, the only option was to run.  He was going to try with her on his own, but the unit wouldn't allow that and we all decided to go."

"We all must have got tied up and preoccupied with planning and nobody realized how scared Kat was.  She was petrified the handlers would find out and take her away before we acted. Terrified she wouldn't be able to protect the baby. When, when we found her, she was unconscious and the blood was everywhere.  She'd used the barrel of a training rifle." 

"The baby," she heard the emotion in his voice as he faltered and she tightened her arms around him.  "The baby was just lying there in all this blood.  It was so tiny, it didn't quite fill Steve's hand, but you could see it was a baby, it had tiny limbs. Kat was unconscious and bleeding and we didn't really have much time before somebody discovered what was happening. Tanya and I managed to get Kat to her cell and stop the bleeding. Biggs and Tav went with Steve, to try and find somewhere to bury the baby.  Steve kept it together long enough to bury the baby, but then he reverted into his instincts and went primal.  He killed a couple of guards and got himself and Tav shot. We managed to keep Kat out of Psch Ops. But Tav and Steve both got Psch Ops and reindotrination."

"And the rest of you didn't run because you didn't want to leave them?" Max asked sadly.  

"Yeah," he agreed," But we were never going to get very far anyway, Max.  There were too few of us they would have hunted us down to quickly.  Tactically, it was suicide. Everybody knew that except Kat. Kat knew, Max thought sadly to herself as she hugged him.  It did get a whole lot worse as they got older.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max looked around the compound at the press of bodies and the chaos of activity. 

"We have about 1500 females as of last unofficial count this morning Max, and about 3000 males so our male to female ratio is coming up it's 2.1 now.  

She's cool and calm again, her usual self, Max thought sadly, as she returned Kats warm smile.   

"Yeah, from what I can tell, a lot of the women and children hadn't felt safe enough to come into the city, until they had the message from Alec to come to TC."

From what Max had been able to deduce from talking to the new arrivals, Alec had somehow found a way to send out a high frequency signal message giving co ordinates and telling people that TC was were they were going to make there stand.  

"How did Alec manage to get the message out that's bringing everybody here, Kat?"

Kat looked at her speculatively.  She didn't like that Alec wasn't confiding in Max and that the only information Max had was what she stumbled upon herself. Max was the alpha female here and she should not be excluded and the fact that she was being, whatever Alec's reasons were, was starting to piss Kat off.  Their lack of communication would be a liability once the fighting started and they started moving their boundaries out.  

Transgenic way never excluded women. In Manticore she had been alpha female and she would never have tolerated being treated in this manner. Neither would Max, have prior to her heat, but she'd changed.  For the most part, Kat thought the change was positive. Prior to her heat, Max had been arrogant and uninterested whenever Kat as her 2nd, had tried to make her aware of things she should know. 

Now, she was not only approachable, she was keenly interested in everything that was happening. Alec was making a mistake not including her.  She had empathy and a quick understanding of problems that Kat knew would prove to be invaluable. But while, for the most part, Max had changed for the better, she had also become hesitant and unsure of herself. So much so that as the new women arrived there was confusion as to who was alpha.  The older residents, who had known Max before her heat, still behaved as if she was.  But the newer arrivals still recognised Kat from Manticore and because Max was no longer acting like an alpha female, it was confusing.

"How did Alec get the message out, Kat?" she repeated, interrupting Kats musing.

"He embed it in Logan's computer, Max.  Logan already had the set up that ensured the signal would be untraceable for his Eyes Only broadcasts.  Alec tapped into that."

Max gazed back at Kat in consternation.  "I take it Logan didn't agree to this?" she asked dryly.

"No Logan never knew. Alec has been messaging out for the last year. High frequency messages only audible if you were Transgenic, set up to transmit every hour on the hour for whatever time period he loaded them for."

"What? But why…"  Max trailed off looking round her. "But why are they all just coming now if he's been doing it for a year."

"The messages have been different.  First, when he was just fresh out of Manticore, he coded it just for us, his unit telling us where he was and how to get here. It took us a couple of months to receive it because we did what we were trained to do and went to ground in the hills.  But as soon as we came out of hiding and got the instructions we came here and settled in TC.  A few months ago, before the killings got worse, Alec changed the message again, giving TC co ordinates out to all Transgenics.  Last week when he took command, him and Steve loaded a new message, informing every body we were regrouping and launching an offensive.

"Is the message still being transmitted, Kat?"

"Yes, another week until it shuts itself down."  

"But I don't understand how Logan didn't pick it up, he is an extraordinary computer hacker."

"Alec is better," Kat shrugged.  

She wished Alec had told her, she thought, sadly.  Other than everyday interaction, there was virtually not communication between them whatsoever. This past week, they had both been so busy with the influx into TC that she had in fact seen him so infrequently during the day that she knew he had to be avoiding her.  At night, he made love to her and went to sleep.  In the morning he made love to her and went to work.  He no longer avoided her questions he just wasn't available for her to ask them.  She had thought about whether they had talked much before they had mated and had come to the conclusion that whilst Alec had talked, and there had been a lot of sound, there had never in fact been much of anything important said between them. 

Which was probably how she'd remained ignorant of so many things.  She wanted to change that, she needed to change it, the less they talked the more distant and disconnected she felt from him, and the more despondent she was becoming.  The sex was still good, she couldn't deny that, but she wanted more than that.  The one thing she missed about Logan was the communication they'd had between them.  She wanted it with Alec, but didn't know how to instigate it.  Every time she tried to talk to him about anything serious, he would distract her with sex.  She had come to believe that sometimes he wasn't even conscious he was doing it.  

"So Kat, this meeting today, what is expected to happen here?"  

"Alec and Steve expect us to talk to the women and get their agreement to let them form fighting Units without us," Kat answered dryly, raising her eyebrow. 

"You don't agree Kat?" 

"The male female ratio has come up 2.1 so the urgency for us to stay out of the fighting is less."

"Yeah, the urgency is less but there is still a need to protect the numbers of women we have," Max replied.

Kat looked at her thoughtfully,  "so you think we should stay out of the fighting."

"Yeah, I do."

"Yeah, so do I," Kat agreed, sighing.  "But I don't like the way they've gone about this."

"We don't need to be in the front line fighting units, but we do need to be in the support Units and we need to make sure they understand that," Max stated emphatically.

'Yeah," Kat agreed. "And the planning that they're doing, and everything else needs female input.  In Manticore we were always included, they never went off on their own and discussed and decided shit like this, it's starting to really piss me off.  I know that things haven't been easy for you this last two weeks, Max but you've got to pull yourself together and start standing up for us."

"What?"  Max asked shocked,  "Me, what? I don't understand what do you expect me to do."

"Your job, Max, you're the alpha female here and you need to start acting like you've got some ovaries. Women here expect to be involved in every discussion and decision the same way we've always been, not told about it retrospectively."

"Me? But I thought you were the highest ranked female here, Kat?" Max asked, completely at a loss.

 "I was alpha female in Manticore," Kat replied, looking at her strangely.  Shit, she thought, thinking about Max telling her that the things other transgenics knew and took for granted, Max didn't often know.  

"Umm, Max you did know you're Alpha female didn't you?"

"No I…why would I, Kat?  When I left Manticore, I was a child. I had no rank, how could I be? I thought I had no standing here whatsoever. I thought that most of you didn't even think I was a proper transgenic," she mumbled. 

"You're alpha, Max.  My instincts recognize it, as do everybody else's. But you've stopped acting like alpha female and it's getting confusing. New arrivals that knew me in Manticore see me defer to you, but because you're no longer acting like an alpha female, they don't know what's happening.  Its unsettling and its working against us in that the males have gone completely off track and need to be pulled back into line, Max."

Max looked at her horrified.  "So you're saying the other woman here aren't happy about being excluded either?  They expect me to stand up for them? I've not been doing my job."  _Oh, fucking hell. I didn't even know it WAS my job._  

"Yeah, of course we aren't happy about it. Does it feel right for you to be kept in the dark? You and I have been sent away like good little girls, to get the agreement of other women, about what the males think they have already decided. Fuck that."  

No, it fucking doesn't feel right Max thought, indignantly.  "Okay, Kat, lets get this meeting started and decide what we really want."  Max feeling her uncertainty and her diffidence start to recede and her confidence flowing back, smiled at Kat as they made their way into the centre of the circle of women.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"They've been in there a fucking long time now," Steve complained as he fidgeted in the yard while they were waiting for the women's meeting to finish.  Alec leaning against the wall hands in the pockets of his jacket, his shoulders hunched against the cold, grunted in reply.

"If Max is onboard with no women in the fighting units, then surely, she's just gonna tell them that.  End of meeting.  What's taking so fucking long?  I'm cold and tired," Steve whined.

"Dunno, Alec replied, fidgeting along side of him, in complete agreement.  He was stuffed and needed to go to bed.  How much longer where they gonna be, he thought exasperated.

"Here they come," Steve, declared eagerly, as the women started to trickle into the compound.  "I suppose they'll be the last one's out," he complained.

Max smiled as she spotted Alec leaned against the wall, probably freezing but waiting patiently for her anyway. 

 "So all sorted?" he asked her.

"Yep," she smiled sweetly at him. " Just a few things to sort out first but we can do that tomorrow." Leaning up she kissed him chastely and put her arm around his waist as he slung his across her shoulders.

"Alec, did you know I was alpha female here?" She asked as they headed for their apartment

"Yeah, off course everybody knows that," he replied, looking down at her in surprise. "Ahh, but you didn't," he realized in sudden understanding as he studied her serious face.  Of course she didn't, her instincts still couldn't recognise instinctual hierarchies. That was why it had been so easy to hide his own ranking from her. 

At least he didn't realize I didn't know my job here and that wasn't something else he's kept me in the dark about, Max thought in relief.

"No, I didn't," she replied quietly, "and consequently, things I probably should have been doing I've left to, Kat, because I didn't understand what my roll was here."

"But you do now?" he asked quizzically.

"Yeah, I do now, Alec," she returned, her eyes on his.

"Well, that's good, then," he replied inanely, wondering what the fuck they were talking about.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec looked up from what he was doing as Max and Kat and a number of the other women came into the room.

Quite a few women to convey a simple agreement, he thought uneasily, his eye catching Steve's.

"Hey, guys," Max greeted, as she and Kat sat down opposite him and Steve.  Her glance falling in irritation to the maps Alec folded and put aside. Fuck, what is so damn secret, she thought impatiently, her eyes locking with his. Warily, he returned her stare. 

_Shit, no agreement._ His eyes swung between Max the stony faced women now leaning against the wall.

His Commander face, Max thought, feeling increasingly more at a disadvantage and becoming uncomfortable as she met his blank faced stare.

"We have decided that we are in agreement with you. There are too few women to risk loosing any more, so we've agreed it is sensible to keep women out of front line fighting units." Solemn faced, she ignored Alec's brilliant smile and continued.  

"Although we've agreed to no women fighting, we expect to be close behind you in the support units." 

Alec caught Steve's sideways glance, they'd planned to have the women in backup units behind the infield support units, but somehow he thought this was not what Max had in mind. Max watching the interplay between him and Steve felt her irritation growing.

"Nor do we like the way this was discussed and decided by males before it was discussed with us. We don't expect that to happen again." 

What is with these sidelong glances, you'd think he was negotiating with the fucking enemy, she fumed, as she ran her eyes over his impassive face.

"From now on, we expect to be involved in every part of our defence." She ended deliberately.

"Fine, if that's what you want."  His face bland and emotionless Alec leaned back his chair. 

This is what she'd meant when she'd said she now understood her role. He hadn't meant to exclude her, he'd just been avoiding what he didn't want to deal with. It obviously couldn't be avoided any longer, he thought with resignation.  The tension in the room was palpable.

The secretiveness was bad enough, but this cold-faced formality wasn't what she'd expected from him and it disconcerted her, which made her feel defensive and that made her angry. "Oh, just one more thing.  I will, of course, be in the field with you."  She knew she was out of line.  Knew that this wasn't the right time or place for this. But he'd made her feel uncomfortable and couldn't resist her impulse to goad him.  

"No." It was flat, hard and not open for dispute. The minute he answered her, he knew he'd made a mistake.  He should have just let it pass.  It would serve not purpose to air their personal differences in public.  Alec felt Steve shift next to him. Plus it will be damn embarrassing, he thought, as he braced himself for her reaction, his eyes now cold as they met hers. 

Max's eyes narrowed furiously, as she prepared to tell him she would go where she fucking well pleased. 

She felt Kat's sign to disengage against her leg. Glancing at her and the other woman, she remembered where she was, who she was representing, and why she was there and stopped in embarrassment.

"I'm glad we could agree," she returned formally, her eyes as cold as his as she rose from the table. 

Alec watched her departing back with a mixture of relief and regret.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Who the hell does he think he is?  He doesn't decide what I do or where the hell I go." As the words came out of her mouth Max knew they weren't what she was feeling.  Her anger gone, she felt flat and miserable. Why couldn't he understand she only wanted to help?  Why didn't he trust her?

"Yes, he does, Max.  He is our military Commander.  Nobody here is going to openly challenge him, we need him to make sure we stay free. In there, you were representing the women.  He'd done his part, he had agreed to what we asked.    He didn't have to bring this to us, he could have decided it on his own as the other males were pushing him to do. But he didn't because that's not Alec's way."

"Yeah, Kat, I know.  Sometimes he just pisses me off and I react before I think." She'd felt at a disadvantage so she'd tried to annoy him.  She knew it's wasn't reasonable to ask other women to send their mates off to fight without them if she wasn't prepared to do the same.  But other women's mates let them know what was happening, she thought uneasily, and information helped alleviate fear, but Alec gave her no information and she hated the powerless fear that engendered.  

Tonight when he got home, she was going to talk to him about how they didn't talk.  Tomorrow, once she had attended the planning meeting, she would have a better idea of what was going on in TC and she wanted to be able to discuss it with him. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Several hours later, lying alone in their bed, she realized he wasn't coming home. Her eyes fixed unseeingly on the ceiling, she wondered what she should do. She knew she'd been out of line in the meeting, but she had backed off, it hadn't been bad enough for him not to come home. Just where the hell was he anyway?

He'd intended to go home.  In fact, he'd stood outside their door for five minutes, his hands in his pockets, just staring at it, wondering what he should do.  If he went in, he knew she would want to talk and they would end up fighting.  He was so tired he was moving through his life like a zombie all he did was work and sleep and worry. At least once she discovered it wasn't defence he planned to be engaged in, the worry of her wanting to fight alongside him will be gone. Exhausted, he turned and went back to his office.

It was midnight now and she knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep without him. Already she'd grown used to having him beside her.  And when she shoved her mounting fury aside, she was worried about him. He was always tired lately and couldn't afford to miss sleep like this.

Unless he was asleep somewhere else, her eyes narrowing she wondered just where the hell else he might go to sleep.  Fuck this**.** Furiously, she pulled on her clothes.  She'd try his office first and if he wasn't there, then she would work her way through his whole fucking Unit if she had too. Fuming, she stormed angrily over to Command

Headquarters was deserted as she made her way across to his office.  Of course it was, every body with half a brain was****home in bed asleep where Alec should be.  She could sense he was there before she opened the door. 

He was already awake before she stormed over to the couch he was stretched out on. "Just what the hell do you thing you are playing at, Alec?" she demanded angrily.  "Is this what's gonna happen every time I do something that pisses you off?  Your just gonna sulk like a fucking child and not come home?" 

"How would you feel if I did that?  Just didn't come home cause you did something I didn't like?" 

Sitting up he ran his hand distractedly through his hair. He hadn't thought about it like that, but he would be worried and angry.  _She's worried about me._ Feeling encouraged he reached up and grabbed her hand pulling her stiff, resisting body onto the couch between his legs.  Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he put his chin on her shoulder and his cheek against hers. "So if I do something you don't like, you'd still come home, Max?"  

"Of course I …"she snapped back reflexively. Stopping as she registered the intensity in his voice, she repeated the question in her head. She didn't know why but this is important to him. He felt her relax back against him as she thought about it. "I can't imagine what you could do that would make me not want to," she answered finally, truthfully. 

"Yeah right, Max," Alec snorted disbelievingly into her neck.  " I'm the guy that three weeks ago you didn't have two civil words for, that couldn't do anything right and suddenly you expect me to believe that.

"Alec, you tried to kill me," she said quietly. She felt him stiffen as he sat up behind her, his body withdrawing from hers.  

"Yeah, you're right, Max, I have no right to expect anything from you."  She felt him try to ease her aside to get up. Leaning back against him she picked his hands up and put his arms back around her and folded hers over his.

"My point, Alec, was that even after you tried to kill me, I kept you around, even then, when you weren't my mate. So, yeah, I do expect you to believe that now you are my mate, I 'm not going to abandon you easily."  

His heart really wanted to believe her, but his head kept telling him that three weeks ago she had been in love with Logan and on her list of priorities, he had probably ranked behind Norman.

"Why did you let me hang around then, Max?" 

He knew he should leave it, knew that it could serve no purpose to dredge this up now, but his need to believe her was so strong that he ached for her to convince him.

"Because you needed me, Alec and I needed you" Despite whatever you did and despite however I treated you, that has always been true."  

She didn't need for him to acknowledge it she knew he accepted it.

"You were the first of my own kind that I had spent any time with for over ten years. You became an important part of my life so fast that it scared me." 

He was still behind her and his body was no longer tense.  Quietly, she waited for him to respond.  She now understood why he avoided talking with sex, the urge to just turn into him was strong.  They would still connect but she wouldn't have to emotionally expose herself.

"Yeah, he agreed flatly "I knew I scared you." 

She could feel his body start to withdraw again. Sighing, she leaned back again to keep him there, her arms still over his around her waist.

"What do you want from me, Alec?" she asked at a loss.  *Tell me, just tell me and I'll do it, *she thought unhappily. 

I want you to love me.  I want to be able to trust you to trust me.  I want you to let me do my job. And I want you to let me be you mate.

"Nothing Max, nothing more than your already doing." 

"But you're angry with me, for what happened in the meeting?  That's why you didn't come home."  She could hear the desperation in her own voice and she felt like crying.

He hadn't intended to, but he could tell he had upset her again. 

"No, you were right, we were out of line. We had no business leaving women out of our discussions," he answered truthfully, hoping to placate her.  

Surprised, she cast about quickly, trying to get her bearings.  _But you always leave me out screamed in her head**.**_

"So, you didn't come home then because I said I was going to fight alongside you."  

When she said it like that, it sounded really pathetic and inane, he thought uncomfortably.

"I was only trying to annoy you, Alec."

"Yeah, I knew that." He agreed feeling increasingly more uncomfortable.

Well, why the fuck didn't you come home, then? Flashed into her head as she furiously tried to figure out what it was they were actually talking about.

She could feel his body moving closer around hers and now his lips were on her neck.  Sex, she thought, exasperated, so I must be getting close to whatever it is. Holding tightly to his hands as he tried to free them, she furiously searched her brain for anything that might make sense. 

"Its because I challenged you isn't it, Alec?" His lips stilled momentarily on her neck, "No I've already told you, you were right I was just tired and fell asleep on the couch, no big deal," 

Liar she thought, as he tried to free his hands again.  It's not what happened in the meeting, she realized, its something else.  She took a wild stab. 

"Did you think I wanted to be in the field with you because I didn't trust your judgement?"  

He didn't even pause as he kissed his way across the side of her face.  That's it, she realized 

"Do you think I don't trust you, Alec," she asked him again.  Releasing his hands, she let him turn her into him as he lay back on the couch. Her mouth opened under his and he felt her knee slide between his thighs. Her tongue met his and her sweet taste invaded his senses.  He could feel her knee gently locating itself under his balls. His hand on her leg he tried to move it lower, she resisted, and reluctantly he released her mouth. 

"Max you need to move…"

"Do you think I don't trust you, Alec?" she interrupted, her eyes locked with his. She watched the emotions roil across his eyes frustration, wariness, anger, panic and finally distrust.  And that's the one we'll go with, she thought.  

He tried to move her leg again and she resisted_.  Fuck what a grip**.**_  " If you push my leg any harder, Alec, you're going to hurt me."

The pressure on her leg gone, his now furious eyes met hers. "If you try and get me off you, Alec, I'm gonna resist." She could see him weighing up his options.  To help him in his decision-making, she put his hand on her stomach and smiled beatifically at him.

He scowled at her and removed his hand.

She felt him tense as she shifted to get more comfortable, her knee still lodged firmly between his thighs.  They were practically eye-to-eye and his angry, hard eyes were quelling on hers. She smiled brightly back at him. He continued to stare stonily at her.

"Hmm if that's your intimidate the troops face, Alec, it needs work."

"This is ridiculous, Max, let me the fuck up."

"What's ridiculous, the fact that I have to put my knee in your crotch to get you to talk to me or the fact that I'm doing it?"

Silence.

She watched him settle himself back, put his hands behind his head and close his eyes. She knew it was ridiculous, they both knew if he really wanted to he could remove her, but she was not only counting on the fact that he didn't want to hurt her physically, but he also didn't really want to upset her either. It had been a safe bet, she mused checking out his face as he pretended to sleep. 

She shifted her knee slightly.  His eyes snapped open and his hand was on her leg again.  She smiled disarmingly at him.

"Why don't you just answer me, Alec what harm can it do?" 

Silence.

"Alright."  Defeated, she removed her knee and waited for him to get up. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. "So are we sleeping here tonight then?" she asked after a short silence. 

"I am. I suggest you go back home, this couch wasn't built for two."

"Do you mean our home that we both live in or do you mean, OC's, Alec?" _Why did I say that,_ she thought in panic? 

He hadn't moved, nothing had shifted in his face and his eyes were still closed, but she could feel she had his attention. Not wanting to escalate what had already gone incredibly wrong she waited with dread for him to answer her.

Silence.

Dejectedly, she sat up. "Okay, Alec you win. I'm going home. Maybe I'll see you around tomorrow," she added sceptically, thinking that unlikely, given his skill at avoiding her.

Again, she hadn't seen him move but his grip was vice like around her wrist.  "You can't leave here in the middle of the night without an escort."  

"I'm not leaving TC," she bit out furiously, tugging her wrist out of his gasp.

"Do you really think I'm that fucking limp that I'm gonna cut and run because you're a pig to me? You don't know me very well do you? I've got just as much right to be here as you and I'm staying. You aren't the only one with a job to do here." 

Furiously, she stomped to the door. Alec, still reeling from relief that she was going back to their apartment and not leaving TC and wanting to calm things down but not knowing how, furiously racked his brains for something placating to say to her.

"I hope you enjoy you couch you immature idiot." 

Not this again, he thought angrily, jumping up. "I'm not immature, Max I'm just not Logan and don't behave like I'm a hundred years old.

"Nobody expects you to," she stormed over and glared furiously at him. "It's got nothing to do with Logan. You're immature because firstly, you were childish and inconsiderate enough to not come home and secondly when I come here to try and talk you behalf like a fucking pig. That's why you're immature, its got nothing to do with Logan and everything to do with you." she fumed, poking him in the chest.

"And you can shove your stupid fucking planning meeting and your secrets. I've been doing perfectly fine without either of them. Kat will go to the meeting to represent us and she can relay what ever it is I'm supposed to be doing." Angrily, she slammed the door.  Let him worry about it on his own, arrogant bastard.

She heard the door crash open and felt his hand on her arm as he halted her furious advance across command.

"Yeah, well so what if I was immature tonight, I wasn't all those other fucking times," he yelled, back at her.

"Yes, you were," she shouted back.  "Some off the time," she qualified, her anger starting to fade. "I'm sorry for the other times, the times that you weren't." she added in her normal voice.

His anger gone, he let go of her arm. "Yeah, well it doesn't matter anyway." He didn't even know why he'd brought it up.  

"It matters to me. I was scared.  I'm sorry." 

Shrugging, he fell into step beside her. Relieved he was coming home she glanced sideways at him catching his look. "Yeah, scared because I was attracted to you." His startled response took her by surprise. "I thought you must have know that Alec?" she said quietly. 

"Yeah, I knew it, but you didn't."  

"Yes, I did, I'm not a complete idiot." she insisted defensively.  I told you, I was just scared." 

He glanced sideways at her again. That she was finally acknowledging her attraction to him felt good, better than good, he thought, grabbing her hand.

"Yeah, it was all that touching that gave it away, I used to get touched more by you, when you were bitchin me out, than by women I'd taken to bed," he said teasingly.  

"Yeah well a girls gotta get it where she can," she teased back

"Plus of course I had the transgenic scent thing happening and you always smelt so sweet," 

Flushing with embarrassment Max looked away.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Can't you get to sleep either, Alec?" She'd been quiet for so long he'd thought she was asleep.  

"No," he answered, winding the strand of her hair he was playing with around his finger. "Can't sleep"

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, moving up the bed until she was eye level with him, her head on the pillow beside his.

"Nothing in particular," he answered turning to look at her.

He had that preoccupied look he always had now days, the one that made her feel so excluded and distant from him. Sighing inwardly, she stared back at him.

"Why did you say you wouldn't come to the planning meeting, Max?"  

"Cause I was angry."

He'd been thinking about this, he knew she was really eager to have her input and it didn't seem like her to blow the opportunity off just because she was angry.

"But I thought you were really keen to have your say." 

She didn't want to fight about this again.  "Well, yeah, I suppose I am, but if you don't want to hear it, then there doesn't seem much point." 

Dejectedly, she turned her head away from him. She didn't want to talk about this, didn't want another fight straight on the heels of the last one. She had been feeling good since they'd got home. Finally admitting to him that she had always been attracted to him had been a relief, had made her feel like their was more honesty between them and this made her feel really close to him and she'd stayed awake to savour it. 

"Lets not talk about this again now," 

Moving into him, she ran an explorative fingertip down his shoulder over his bicep and down his arm.  Alec watched her eyes follow her finger down his arm and watched them swing back to his when he stopped her hand by twinned his fingers with hers.  Something was bothering him about her indifferent flicking off of the planning meeting.

"How do you see your role in the meeting, Max?"

Her cautious wary eyes swung to his "Its late, Alec, I don't really want to talk bout this now, I want to…" she stopped talking and stopped kissing his shoulder her eyes swinging to his as his question registered in her head. _He's talking to me._

"I didn't think I had a role," she answered hesitantly, "I don't know much about this sort of stuff yet, it's new to me. I was just going to listen," she mumbled suddenly feeling like an idiot.

Not wanting to loose the moment she rushed on "How did you see my role?" 

She was just going to listen, she didn't think she had a role. Alec ran her words through his head.  She was right, she'd been so long out of their world that her interference would be counter productive at this stage. He'd feared that if she had information, then she would have objections and then she and him would clash.  By not telling her anything he'd tried to avoid that. 

That hadn't worked, he thought disgustedly, thinking about all the shit it had created between them.  In fact, avoiding her and dodging her questions, he was now realizing, had maybe been a waste of time.

"What if I have to make decisions you don't agree with, Max what then?"

"Well, when that happens, then I'll just have to change your mind," Her eyes sultry on his, she leaned over and rolled his lower lip between hers.  "If it's a decision that's just between you and me."  She finished kissing along his jaw.  

Pulling back, her serious brown eyes met his now guarded green.  "But if its about a decision you make here as Commander, then I will accept it, Alec. I never ever want what happened to Kat or Steve to happen to any one of us again," she said emotionally. We are all going to stay free and so is our baby and you will make that happen.  I will not only accept every decision you make I will help you make them happen. That is how I see my role in the meeting".

Not only is she going to trust me, she's going to help me. His heart full, he pulled her into him.  Cheek resting on the top of her head, he looked down at her slender bare arm as she hugged his waist and started to tell her what he was planning to do.

Max listened quietly as he talked.  Once he started, it all poured out.   This was Alec as she remembered him, full of words and sound.  Except this was sound that did have meaning, worrying, gut wrenching, meaning, but he was telling her and she was thankful to be finally hearing it.  

She was still and relaxed against him, and once he started to tell her, it was easy, a relief, really.  He felt her arm tighten around him as he finished talking and his eyes met hers. 

Max now understanding that the reason he'd not told her any of this before wasn't because he didn't trust her and thought she had nothing of value to contribute. But because he thought she didn't trust him. She felt a wave of tenderness as she stared into his cautious eyes, he'd been worried about causing strife between them.  It shows he cares about me, it's not just about the baby, she thought.  Maybe he even loves me.  Her eyes lingered on his face. Like I love him, she admitted consciously, acknowledging it for the first time.

"It's a lot to think about, Alec and it's late. Lets leave talking about it until tomorrow." 

'Yeah," he agreed thankfully, feeling exhausted and emotionally drained.  

Max felt a flash of hot molten desire for him as she watched his slow languid stretch.  Catching her eye, he grinned back at her. "You know what, Max, I'm feeling kinda tense," he stretched again, watching her as her eyes lingeringly followed his movement.  "What you did to me the other night when I was worried, that really helped mellow me out, made it much easier to sleep."

She move into his side and angled her bent leg across his thighs, moving it until it was nestled against his balls under his now rapidly hardening erection "You mean when I did all the work," she murmured, moving her hand in slow circles on his stomach. 

"Yeah." 

"Hmm so I get to do all the work again," she murmured licking his nipple. 

"Yeah." He growled low in his throat.  

"But that was a special, a reward," she whispered into his ear.

He could feel her hot breath, her lips teasing as they lightly brushed his ear before moving to quickly away.

"For what?" he asked mystified. What did I do?"  Whatever, if she told him, he'd do it again

"Nothing, you didn't do anything," she breathed into his ear again, teasingly brushing her lips across it.

"That was my reward, not yours."  _Her reward**.**_ His eyes fluttering languidly, overwhelmed with emotion and feeling that sense of closeness and connection he had only ever felt with her.

"Do you think," she nibbled and sucked her way around his pecs,  "I deserve another reward so soon,"

Her hand was still moving on his stomach the back of her hand occasionally lightly brushing his erection 

"Fuck, yes, Max, you definitely do."  He needed her to want him like he wanted her, and at this moment she did, and he knew he mattered to her.

Her hot, wet mouth was sucking his nipple.  Eyes glazing, he threaded his fingers through her hair and held her head on him.

She loved doing this, making him as hot for her as he could make her for him.

Her mouth was on his other nipple now.  "Okay, where... do you… want me…to start…?" She murmured between bites as he nipped and licked her way across the first ridge of his abs, feeling them flex as she started to gently bite her way down.

Just his hand in her hair massaging her scalp and feeling his stomach quiver as she moved her mouth on him was making her hot.  

"My ear, start with my ear." 

"Okay," she agreed, her eyes widening with surprise as she started to kiss her way back up his body.

"Hmmm Alec, I know you like this," she whispered, her breath hot as she teasingly traced the arch of his ear with her tongue, "but I thought," she breathed, rolling his earlobe between her teeth, "there were other things you liked better."

Leaning his ear into her mouth, he lightly stroked his thumb along the length of her neck.  

"Yeah. But this is special"

Curious, she pulled back to look at him.

'No one else does that like you, it's just between you and me," his lips moved lightly against her ear as he spoke.  "Special," he murmured, smiling, his eyes warm as they held hers.

'Special, just between him and her' repeated in her head as she gazed back at him.  How has it taken me so long to realize I love him?

"Yeah, special," she agreed.  Brown eyes locked with green as she pushed him onto his back and nuzzled his ear "Now back to my reward," she whispered into his ear.

TBA


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Propped on his elbow Alec studied her peaceful sleeping face.  He loved to watch her like this.  Not that he had much opportunity, most nights they fell into bed exhausted and he was asleep within minutes of making love to her, but tomorrow they had the morning off and he planned to sleep as late as he liked and lie in bed with her until lunchtime. Savouring the moment, his eyes lingered on her dark thick lashes as they cast a shadow on her cheek. He could see her slender naked arm and her softly rounded shoulder where it protruded from the quilt. Leaning forward he mouthed the ball of her shoulder revelling in the sensation of her silky skin against his tongue, her taste, and her scent. He felt the fierce primal pulse of possession the combination of their two scents always evoked.

It had been two months now of waking up next to Max two months of his baby growing inside her. He was slowly coming to believe that she was committed to them and that maybe she was coming to care for him. Everyday she would do or say something thing that made him feel even closer to her. Every night in their bed as she panted and moaned his name, he grew to love her more.

But he hadn't told her he just couldn't get past the ball of hesitation and fear that sat in his gut.  He knew that despite her admitted attraction to him if it hadn't been for her heat he would never have had a chance with her.  In his heart of hearts he believed that if it hadn't been for the virus she would be with Logan now.

He knew she was happy with him and he knew that a big part of that was how good they were together sexually.  Sometimes he only had to look at her and she was on his lap eagerly tugging at his belt.  It was the same for him she'd only have to smile at him and he wanted her. He loved that about them but he wanted more, he wanted her to love him like he loved her.

Everything was coming together the fighting units were well into training as were the infield support units, in fact the reason he had the morning off was a because the following day they would make their first move. They were starting small with a few hit and run type missions over the next month testing their training and setting themselves up for when they made their combined move. He had given all those directly involved half a day's leave and he was going to spend all of his in bed with Max.

Rolling onto his back he gently slid his arm under her.  He smirked happily to himself as she instinctively moved into him and threw herself untidily across his body before wiggling herself into a comfortable position. Tidying her hair neatly off her cheek he stroked the palm of his hand gently down her arm.  Smiling contentedly he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Its still early Max realized as she reluctantly opened her eyes. She wanted to sleep really late but her damn internal body clock had woken her up early anyway.  A whole morning in bed with Alec she thought deliciously, nestling closer into the warmth of his body and smiling happily to herself. Who cares if she'd woken up early, more time to enjoy just being here together? She liked to lie awake like his listening to his breathing and feeling his chest rise under her ear.  Her transgenic hearing amplified his heartbeat until it pulsed through her body and it seemed liked they had one heart.

These last two months her life had been better than she had ever imagined was possible. It wasn't just Alec.  Being back with her own kind was almost as precious, she was once again part of something she had mourned as lost to her. Alec had been indirectly responsible for that too.  It was his unit that had embraced her as their own and given her back that sense of belonging she hadn't had since the separation from her siblings. His Unit reminded her so much of her own and even though they didn't consider themselves siblings, but rather as part of the same pack, they had the same strong connections as her Unit. Maybe that was how her Unit would have evolved if they had stayed together.  She still felt the familiar pain of regret whenever she thought about her siblings but it was duller now because she had the happiness and promise of her new life with Alec and it was helping to fill the void.

As precarious as their physical situation was in TC this was still the safest and most secure Max had ever felt.   And she knew it was the most stable emotionally she'd ever been. She now had Alec who she could rely on if she needed to, who comforted her and who cared about her and who sometimes she thought, might even love her, it was an incredibly reassuring feeling, he had provided a shelter she hadn't even known existed.  She was so grateful for the life she had found here in TC.  She knew how fortunate she was to have finally found the sense of family she'd always sought.  She'd never been in a relationship before never even had sex outside of her heat until Alec. At first she'd been really anxious and on edge, fearful that she would screw things up but that fear had lessened and she'd become more confidant as she'd realized how easy Alec was to please. Everyday she tried to give him back some of the happiness and contentment he'd given her.  She thought she was succeeding he seemed happy with her and with the idea of the baby

She wanted to tell him how much she loved him. But she couldn't get the words out.  She'd never told anybody she loved him before and was terrified that once she said it, once it was out there, this precious new thing that she had found would be snatched away.  Sometimes the fear that nothing this good could really be hers to keep was overwhelming.  She feared that one day she would just wake up and it would all be gone Alec, her baby, his Unit, TC all of it gone. And she would be back in her bleak sad little life.  She knew it wasn't really rational but the fear was chillingly real. There was also the real threat that came from White and all the Ordinaries who wanted to kill them, and the fear and uncertainty of what would happen once they really started to fight back.  Her dread of what would happen to this collection of people she now loved once the fighting started was sometimes immobilizing.

But she wasn't going to think about that now closing her eyes she consciously willed her thoughts into order. Uninterrupted time together was rare and she had promised herself that she wasn't going to cloud it with doubt and fear. She was just going to enjoy being together.  

He moaned and moved restlessly but she could tell by his breathing and his heartbeat he was still asleep.  Gently she moved her hand down and soothingly stroked his stomach. She liked that he slept so deeply when he was with her. 

 She felt the arm that had been slack around her as he slept move and suddenly a pair of warm arms were firmly wrapped around her and he was lifting her onto his body. Settling her hands flat on his chest she propped her chin on them as her eyes roamed his still sleepy face.

"Hmm, awake finally, huh. I thought you were probably going to sleep our whole morning away."

"What, as if you would have let me do that?" he laughed.  He tucked a stray strand of her silky hair behind her ear his eyes warm and laughing as he returned her smile.

I love it when she smiles at me like this it makes me feel that there is only her and me and the rest of the world and their problems can go to hell.

Max felt his fingers gently exploring the delicate ridges of her spine and was hit with the heat of sheer longing, even his simplest of touches made her tremble with desire for him. She could feel the familiar hard planes of his body under hers his erection pressed between them.

"So?" she asked moving enticingly against him,  "where've got hours before we have to get up. What would you like to do?"

Sliding his hands down her body he settled them over her ass and held her firmly on him as she undulated against him.  She watched his eyes ignite with the heat of desire for her.  His eyes are so hot and passionate, wild like Alec she mused gazing seductively at him from under hooded eyes.  Alec his thoughts mirroring hers his gaze locked on her wild, sultry eyes moved suddenly and unceremoniously dumped her onto her back beside him. 

"Dunno let me think about it?"

His large hand cupping her face he tilted it until their eyes met and she was lost in the green and gold depths of his.  Bending his head his tongue was insistent as it parted her lips for the hot passion of his kiss.  Max her hand cupping his jaw met his hungry mouth with her own urgent need.  He kept kissing her long intoxicating drugging kisses that robbed her of conscious thought and left her boneless and quivering with want.

When he kissed her like this her whole world narrowed to the fire in her blood and Alec, his mouth his taste, his arms around her and his body pressed along the length of hers.

"How do you make me feel like this, Alec, like there's only you and me and nothing else matters" she whispered breathlessly into his mouth.

"It's a gift Max," he murmured, as he feathered little kisses along her jaw and down the length of her neck. Her face was flushed her eyes hazy and languid and all he wanted to do was kiss her some more. 

Yeah, he does have a gift she thought thinking about the wonderful world of warmth and care he had created around her. "Mmm truly gifted," she breathed in satisfied agreement. Her eyes locked with his and he felt her hand on the side of his face gently stroking his cheek. He turned his lips into her hand and kissed her palm.  It was the little things she did like that made making love with her so good.  No one else ever touched him with her gentle tenderness it was one of the things that made her so special.

His eyes dropped from hers to her lips already plump and flushed from his kisses, pulling her close he dipped his head and plied her lips with his tongue her mouth opened eagerly under his and his tongue slid into its sweet heat.

A whole four hours of this Max thought blissfully her mouth still locked with his.  Her hand on his stomach she urged him off her and onto his back.  Tenderly she leaned forward and delicately sucked the hollow at the base of his throat revelling in his heady scent and the taste of his skin the fierce throb of his pulse as she sucked.  Alec lay back against the pillow while her tongue busily and provocatively laved his skin.

He slid his hand to the curve of her waist and possessively over the flare of her hip as he pulled her flush against him.  She nestled closer into him and he felt her shiver as his hands roamed her back and he gently bit the curve where her shoulder joined her neck.

Laying her on her back he brushed her untidy hair out of her face and slowly appreciatively her ran his eyes from her long supple legs to her narrow waist and softly flaring hips to her full creamy softly rounded breasts.  He smiled at her already erect nipples.

She slowly perused his body with the same possessive appreciation.

"When do you think the baby will start to show?" His absorbed gaze intent on her stomach he curved his hand experimentally measuring across the still flat plain of her stomach"

"It already is," she replied huffily.  " See?" she showed him by smoothing her own hand across the flat contours of her belly.

"Yes, I see now," he agreed solemnly, tying to curb his smile.

"Well you can't see very well because I'm lying down," she added petulantly in the face of his obvious disbelief.  "But you can when I'm standing up my pants are definitely getting to tight."

Turning on her side she scooted backwards. "Feel now." She guided the hand he offered her across the tiny fullness of her belly. Alec settled his chin on her shoulder his eyes following his hand.

"Yeah I can feel it now, just slightly," he agreed, thinking things would have to start growing at a lot faster than this if the kid wasn't going to be a runt.

"I'm bigger here too," she said grumpily guiding his hand to her breast, "I'll bet you noticed that alright," she snorted.

"As a matter or fact I did notice that," he laughed, his mouth on her neck "but you've always had a great rack anyway Maxie." He rolled her back over onto her back and dipped his head. Max whimpered and then shivered in delight as she felt the rough pressure of his mouth sucking her nipple. "That feels so good," she whispered her hand stroking the back of his neck. 

His hand cupping the soft full weight of her other breast he rolled her nipple between his fingers her soft husky moans sent a surge of painful intense desire straight to his groin. She let her gaze wander down to where his hand stroked the slight swell of her belly. Sucking in her breath with pleasure as he licked and teased her nipple with his teeth. Possessively she slid her hand over the hard muscled silken skin of his back.

She could feel his thigh as it nudged hers and her legs opened of their own volition.  His warm hand slid along her inner thigh and she squirmed wantonly against him as he teasingly stoked her thigh.  She gasped in pleasure when he finally slipped his hand between her legs sliding his fingers through the soft warm tangle of curls into the hot moist heat of her. 

She felt so soft, hot and wet and he could feel her hips rising up to meet his touch as she withered frantically against his hand.  Settling his mouth hungrily over hers he absorbed her incoherent murmurings as he stroked her. Pulling his head back he watched her mouth move in a soundless gasp of pleasure as he slid his finger inside her and her eyes fluttered open. 

"Is it good Max?" he whispered, slipping another finger into her and stoking inside her.  He watched her hazy languorous eyes open in riveting pleasure when he found her clit with his thumb. Her hips moved in instant response and he could feel his erection hard and insistent between his stomach and her hip. "Max?" he whispered his tongue in her ear. 

It was difficult to speak when he was touching her like this his face so close to her his hot breath in her ear, 

"Alec…yes, please?" 

She was thrusting her hips mindlessly now. He felt her orgasm gripping her as she contracted around his fingers and gasped his name.  He watched her enraptured face as she arched her back and flung her head back her body tense and the slow flush of heat blossoming on her creamy skin.

He held her in his arms her body still trembling in the aftershock of her pleasure. Her hair a wild tangle of silky softness against his chest and thought about how much he loved her.  

Sliding her hand between their bodies Max closed her hand over his pulsing warm length and manoeuvred both of them so he was pressing urgently against her.  She heard his low visceral grunt as he slid slowly into her. Just hearing that sound, knowing his pleasure was almost as good as feeling him pulsing inside her. She felt her body expand to accommodate him and she heard her own moan of satisfaction. 

Wrapping her arms and legs around him she held him as he bent his head and kissed her.  His lips were warm and insistent, his tongue moving, thrusting sensuously into her mouth, and blotting out everything other sensation. He began to move inside her long, slow, powerful thrusts as she gripped him with her inner muscles and tried to draw him deeper her legs tight around him as she arched to meet his every thrust.

"Yeah Max," he could feel her muscles massaging him as she slid her mouth out from under his and her tongue snaked frantically round his ear.  Sliding his arms under her back he watched her eyes widen as he lifted her until she was sitting astride his lap.  Max slid her hands up the warm firm contours of his back and hooked her hands over his shoulders and rubbed her breasts against his chest as he thrust up into her.  She could feel his hands enclosing her waist as he held her steady for his thrusts. Her hands in his hair she pulled his head back her eyes intense as they caught his.  She saw the tension in his absorbed face and heard him groan as he drove himself into her over and over again. 

"Max," he growled deep in his throat.

"Yeah," she whispered, back her eyes still locked with his as she felt herself on the brink, just another stroke away. She heard herself scream his name as her orgasm gripped her and spasm after spasm of delicious pleasure hit her.  He was still thrusting into her when her eyes refocused on his the wild intensity of his face.  Fascinated she watched it build for him as he continued to thrust. Watched the sheen of sweat as it dewed on his forehead and watched his eyes as they darkened and hazed with pleasure.  She felt his grip on her waist tighten as he lifted her up and then guided her back down as he thrust. His face was tight with concentration and his eyes unfocused when she heard his low guttural groan and felt the hot wet surge of him inside her. 

She watched the tension leave his face as her eyes roamed its angular planes.  Their eyes caught and held as he refocused on her and she smiled sweetly at him.  I love you Alec.  His breathing was still heavy and erratic as he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her head down. Covering her smile with his mouth he kissed her tenderly.

"No," she groaned into his mouth as they both heard the pounding on the door.

"Do you think it's Logan?" he whispered conspiratorially, watching her eyes start to widen before she remembered the impossibility of Logan in TC now.  

He laughed as she huffily slapped his shoulder. Sitting in the middle of the bed with the sheet wrapped around her as she watched him hastily pull his jeans on, she was reminded of her heat and the times when it had been Logan at the door. Just the thought of Logan was distasteful to her now. Running her eyes possessively over barefooted-shirtless Alec as he paused in the doorway she once again thanked the powers that be for her heat.

"I'll just tell them to piss off Max."  

She returned his smile as he closed the door.

"Stop banging I'm fucking coming," he called as he made his way across his living room.  Bangs like fucking Logan he thought as he swung the door open if frustration.

"What the fuck is up with you Tav?" I've still got another two hours before I've got to be at headquarters.  You better have a good reason for fucking well interrupting me."

"Yeah, sorry Alec but I need you now.  We've got a mate fight with a fatality. The dead transgen is from Gray's Unit. The other guy's is Dale.

" I've got Thor's unit contained in the car park and Gray's is the quad but they'd already had a fucking good go at each other before I got there.  So I've got med units with both of them as well," Tav trailed off apologetically.  

"Fuck. Both these Units have men in the mission tomorrow."  Disgusted Alec turned headed toward the bedroom, "Just give me a minute to get dressed?"

"Yeah, Alec that isn't the worst of it.  They were fighting for Leah and she knows what's happened and is demanding to be heard.   

"She's also from Thor's unit. How the fuck did she find out?" Alec demanded in disgust. Could this get any worse? What a screw up.

"I dunno, Alec, maybe because we're all living so much on top of each other here.  There's nowhere for the guys to go anymore.  How are we supposed to keep it private?" he asked defensively.  

"She's demanding to see Max."  

"What the fuck do you mean she's demanding to see Max?" Alec ground out.

"She's demanding to see Max.  As is her right." Its not my fault, Alec, I've done nothing but try and calm all parties." Surreptitiously he shoved his broken right hand into his jacket pocket.

Alec eyed his fat lip and his bruised face. 

"Yeah, well Thor and Gray wouldn't break when I ordered them to. Thor wanted to keep on pounding Grey, the fucking asshole.  I had to dissuade him.  You would have done the same," Tav mumbled defensively.

"Max knows nothing about this sort of stuff.  I'm not bringing her. Go and get Kat."

"She's demanding to see alpha female, Alec, that isn't Kat anymore.  Kat won't come, it's insulting to Max, and Leah will also be insulted. It's a bad plan Alec less than a 1% chance of pleasing anybody you're the one that taught me…" he trailed off as he caught sight of Alec's furious face.  

"Tell Steve and Kat to meet me in the car park Tav." Alec ordered.

"Okay, okay but don't say I didn't warn you," Tav mumbled, as he headed for the door.

"Alec?"

Alec swung around to face him. 

"I work with Max and Kat everyday, and I see what goes on.  Max does good work and the women respect her.  She is alpha to them, they won't like you interfering in this. No matter what you decide I'm always gonna have your back, but this is a mistake." His face serious his cocky grin absent he shrugged and closed the door quietly after him.

"What was that all about?" Max asked from the doorway of the bedroom.  "Oh no, you've got to go in early don't you?" she guessed when she saw his tense preoccupied face.

"Yeah, I do Max I'm sorry," he murmured, kissing her ear.  His hands on her ass he lifted her up his body.  Max locked her legs around his back and buried her face in his neck.

"It's not fair," she moaned, petulantly into his ear.  

"I know it isn't Max, but I'm probably only gonna be a couple of hours, so how about you wait for me and when I'm finished we'll have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves."

"The rest of the afternoon," she repeated incredulously, pulling back to look at him.  He never took time off. "What's up Alec?" 

Two months ago not only would she not have cared less about spending time with him her eyes would have been suspicious and her tone of voice distrustful and cold. Now her eyes were trusting and her voice was warm when she talked to him.  He didn't want to do anything to jeopardise that.  She was still barely in touch with her own instincts.  How would she be able to understand his when he barely did himself?  He didn't want her involved in this.  He'd sort it out on his own or with Kat, like he always had.

"Nothings up Maxi.  If I've got to go in early then I'm going to come home early." Lowering her onto the bed he leant over her and kissed her quickly.  "Wait here for me until I get back, huh?"  

"Okay." Dragging his head back down she slid her tongue between his lips and kissed him with sweet aching thoroughness.

Yeah, its better she's not involved. Its better like this he told himself as he stood up.  Give her time to get back in touch with her own instincts before he tried to explain his.  

He could feel her watching him as he quickly pulled the rest of his clothes on. "So you are waiting here then Max?" 

"Yeah." She smiling happily at him, "Hurry back" 

"Yeah," he agreed, his head already on the mess that awaited him in the car park.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

":I'm not going Steve.  Not without Max.  It's not right and I'm not doing it.'

"Someone female has to come with us," Tav added unhelpfully earning him a glare from Kat.

"Well I'm just saying," he added defensively.

"Then Alec should have thought of that."

"He's right Kat.  We can't do it on our own.  It's not right." Steve tried again.  "Just come and see what she wants?  If you think Max needs to be called then I'll make Alec do it."

"I know what she wants Steve, and Max will have to be involved.  If Alec thinks he can keep this from her he's in fairyland. Why the fuck would he want to anyway?  She's mated with a transgenic male, she'll deal, just the way we've all had to," Kat finished, her eyes pinning Steve.  

He shifted uncomfortably and his eyes slid off hers. 

"What would you do, if it was you and you were being asked to go in over Alec's head?"

"Yeah, okay Kat I get your point.  I'll tell him your not coming." Steve sighed.  

"I tried to tell Alec you wouldn't do it." Tav chipped in.  This time it earned him a death glare from Steve.  Rolling his eyes and winking at an irritated Kat Tav followed a morose Steve as they headed towards the car park.

"Fuck!"

"Yeah," Tav agreed as they neared the milling chaos of transgenic males clogging the car park and spilling out the entrance.

Fuck it feels like they're ready to explode Tav thought as he and Steve started to shoulder their way through. The sheer press of bodies made their progress slow.  Every male in TC must be here and looking to fight. Male after male turned aggressively on them as they pushed their way through. 

"Fuck,"

"Yeah," The sound of fighting reached Tav at the same time as it did Steve.

"It's in the back I'll deal with it." wheeling, Steve slammed his elbow into the chest of the X blocking his way.  Shouting harshly for the rest to "move," he powered his way back through the rapidly separating males.

Too bad this lot can't see me coming as well Tav thought, snarling into the face of the next aggressive X that turned on him as he continued to push his way to the front.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey Kat, don't tell me Steve got called back in early too?" Max asked, as she opened the door.

"So is something up?" Curious she sat down opposite Kat.  

"Yeah there is. Alec is going to need our help but there's some stuff I need to tell you first."

"Shoot," Max returned curiously.

"There's been a mate fight with a killing."

"A what? 

 "A mate fight Max.  Transgenic males fight for mates if they want the same female.  Sometimes they kill each other. Usually they do it in private and we never get to find out about it.  Even the women who are being fought over don't know."

"There has just been a fight and the woman they were fighting over has found out and is demanding to be heard. This is only the second time ever, that a mate fight has come to the attention of females. It's a big deal Max and we need to be there with that female. Every female in TC will want a say in this.  We've all lost Unit members and some of us potential mates to mate fighting. I nearly lost Steve before I even knew he wanted to mate with me."  

Schooling her shock trying to get her head around what Kat was telling her Max waited for her to go on.  

"Steve was getting ready to fight his fifth mate fight for me. I was hot," she joked trying to eject some lightness.  "I didn't know about the fight, in fact I didn't even know Steve wanted to mate with me."

"He was still injured from a previous fight and Tav was worried he couldn't handle this challenger. So he told me what was going on.  He didn't tell me much.  Just that if I wanted to stop the fight all I had to do was choose Steve as my mate.  So I did.  Rolling her eyes she added, "even though I had absolutely no idea that he wanted me"

"Tav only told me as much as I needed to know to stop the fight because he knew Steve wouldn't have survived another one with shattered ribs.  If he'd been hit again he was risking his ribs puncturing his internal organs."

"Transgenic males are not good at making their intentions known, so females can be completely in the dark as to who their suitors are.  Just like I was.  But the males always know who has interest in any female they want their territorial instincts tell them if there is a challenge.  So they fight amongst themselves to repel the challenge.

"Wait Kat do the woman go along with this?" Max asked incredulously.

"No, that's my point we don't know about it.  Once a male decides on a female their territorial instincts are so strong that they cannot tolerate other males having an interest so they fight. All they are fighting to do is keep other males away from their choice, we still choose for ourselves."

"Why did Manticore tolerate it? Why didn't they just throw them into the hole when they saw they had been fighting?"  

"If they caught them they did, but injuries weren't uncommon in training and the guys when they fight go for the body not the face and tissue damage repairs itself on us really quickly.  Plus Manticore encouraged a certain amount of aggression anyway, they thought it was healthy so they weren't to bothered."

"It only became a problem once we got a bit older and the number of fatalities from fighting started to piss them off. They tried to control it in their usual way with punishment," Kat shrugged.  Punishment was absolutely useless in the face of instinct and made no impact whatsoever."

"We all knew the fighting was getting bad and a few women suspected why, but most like me didn't have a clue. Tav speaking to save Steve was the first time any male had broken silence. Nobody else beside you and me know Tav did and it is better for him that nobody else finds out."  Max nodded absently in agreement as she processed what Kat had told her.

"I already knew that Steve had fought for me before because he was still injured from the last fight.  I pestered and badgered Tav but he wouldn't give me any more information.  However his reluctance to tell me anything made me realize that Steve had fought more than the once. The number of times I figured out by working back to the number of times he had been injured.  Other women started to do the same and we figured out what had been going on." 

"We were still in our teens and new to mating and we didn't really understand our own instincts very well let alone the male instincts. The females in our Unit went to Alec and demanded he stop it." Kat rolled her eyes. "Alec must have thought we were all idiots at the time." She shook her head sadly.  "Anyway he told us he couldn't stop mate fights because the territorial instincts that caused them were outside the control of each individual male.He told us he couldn't control his own let alone every other male in Manticore."

"We wouldn't accept that and we harassed Alec and other women pressured their Unit leaders and finally Alec agreed in discussion with other Unit leaders to make it punishable by death to kill during a mate fight.  We weren't pleased as we wanted him to ban the whole practise, but by then we understood it was not going to happen, so at the time women accepted it."  

"How could Alec control something the Manticore brass couldn't control?" Max asked doubtfully.

"Alec didn't have control over us like Manticore did. He had it because our instincts demand we follow an alpha male.  He had more power because we follow him by choice.  Whereas whatever control Manticore exercised was by virtue of force."

"If there is a female involved Kat then we need to be there?  Why the hell didn't Alec tell me any of this?" Max asked puzzled. "Have they gone off to execute this male?" Is that why he didn't tell me what's going on?"  

"No.  Even if Alec wanted to he couldn't do that, Max." Kat answered patiently, as she watched Max dress.

"No male in TC would stand for it.  That rule was only made to appease us. Despite the rule the mate fights continued on unimpeded and so did the deaths.  This is only a problem for them now because once again a female has discovered what is happening. This time the problem is bigger because the male killed was the woman's choice as mate." 

"Are you ready then?" We need to get over there and see what is happening." Impatiently Max pulled her jacket on.

"There's still some other stuff I need to tell you Max."

"Tell me on the way over there then."

"Yeah, okay Kat agreed reluctantly.

"When we asked for mate fights to be banned the majority of us were still not mated. Although the males were fighting for us they were still young and for the most part were slow in coming forward, even though in their minds they had won the right. Now we're older and a lot of us are mated, we understand their territorial instinct a lot better and we know that they can't help it."

Max grimaced is disbelief.  "You've got to be kidding Kat.  You're telling me that adult males can't control their impulse to fight and kill each other. You're saying that if another transgenic male had shown an interest in me before we mated Alec would have fought and possibly killed him. I don't believe that Kat."

"If you are ever going to understand Alec at all Max you better believe it. If another transgenic had shown interest in you, without a doubt Alec would have fought for you. If Logan had been able to touch you Alec would also have dealt with that problem a long time ago. He is extremely territorial.   Every one of us in his unit has stories we could tell you of Alec protecting us.  He does that because in his mind we belong to him we're his pack. That is the way of it.  He like the other males can't control it. It's primal and it controls them."  

"Transgenic males are all the same they just have different faces so we can tell them apart. Their instincts for the most part control their behaviour and the territorial instinct is common to all.  They cannot control the compulsion to protect what they consider is theirs.  It's programmed into their DNA." 

"You have to believe and understand that before we get their Max, otherwise we're going to be more of a hindrance than a help.  The male that killed here today and the male he killed were fighting because they both wanted the same woman and both were to possessive to tolerate the other in contact with her."

"She has asked to see you becau… What the fuck," they both heard the sound of fighting at the same time.  They weren't close enough to the car park for a visual but the noise was unmistakable.

"That smell Kat..."  

"Yeah, testosterone.  This isn't good.  It means that things are start…"

"Fuck.

"Fuck," Kat agreed as they rounded the corner. "The fighting is only out here so far," Kat said urgently.  "These are all younger males not strong enough to push there way to the front.  If the older males had started fighting the smell would be much stronger and they'd be more noise.  But it means we won't be able to get through either." 

"Of course we can get through Kat," Max returned impatiently.

"No Max they won't let us through.  They'll just block us out.  All these guys out here who couldn't get in are twice our size. There are no women in there and we don't want to be either.  It's too dangerous.  If it all turns to shit and they start fighting we don't want to be trapped in the middle without our own unit around us.

"Silence."

Even with their transgenic hearing they only just heard it.

"Silence." It was clearer and louder this time as the din started to die down.

"All of you who are fighting in the back report to me now. Tanner's unit make your way to the back and bring them forward.  The rest of you let them through."  Alec's hard flat voice had the desired affect.  Max watched the fighting slowly trail off.  

"We can go forward with them Kat," Max said, as Tanner and some of his Unit emerged from the car park.

"He won't take us.  He's only been ordered to bring this lot through." Kat gestured with her head toward the large group of young males Tanners unit had assembled.  

"We'll just follow him then Max replied indifferently," moving into line behind the young X's.

Tanner blocked their path.  "Stay with them until I get orders," he told the two males with him. "Its best you and Kat wait out here for now Max."

Glancing around Tanner's body Max watched the crowd part as his unit and the group of young males started to make their way through. 

Alec's voice came again loud and clear. "There has been a challenge for alpha. We'll fight it now," he announced flatly."

"Fuck, our first strike is tomorrow and that stupid bastard picks now to challenge for alpha," Tanner spat in disgust.  Gesturing for Max and Kat to walk he followed them into the car park.

At least he's taking us forward Max thought in bewilderment "Who's Alec going to fight Kat?"

"Thor," Kat replied with loathing.

TBC

Thanks to those of you reviewing and egging me on.  I'm sorry that I am posting this slowly.  The chapters are written but to post them here I have to put them into another format and that is why it's slow.  Please keep reviewing it reminds me to post.

The story is up to chapter 31 at Agora if you want to read there here is the address. 


	22. Chapter 22

Thank you Scar for the Betaring.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Max could feel the tension and heat and hear the angry talk as she and Kat entered the gap that had opened in the crowd and that would lead them to the front and Alec. The smell of testosterone was getting stronger the tension and anger around her was palpable.  The noise was loud again, bombarding her from all sides. She could only distinguish fragments of the talk, but whoever this challenger was, he wasn't popular.  Max didn't need Kat to tell her the situation was explosive.  If Alec lost control and they did start to fight amongst themselves, she knew that White and the Ordinaries would be the least of their problems.  

The gap that had been made for them wasn't large and they were hemmed in on both sides. As they walked through, other members of Alec's unit fell in beside them, pushing her and Kat even closer together.  She heard two quick shots, followed by a slower third and trying to figure out what was happening, she watched in bewilderment as Todd and Biggs backed Tanner off and suddenly she was packed in beside Kat, staring at a circle of solid male backs.  The press was so tight she couldn't move. Kat was right, she wouldn't have wanted to be trapped in this without Alec's unit around her. She could hear the threat in their voices as they warned the other Transgens pressing in on them back and she sensed the movement away from their tight little group.

It all happened with bewildering speed, she could only just make out Alec's roar for quiet.  The noise faded and they were surrounded by an ominous silence as all movement around her stopped.

"Alpha Unit report," Alec demanded harshly.

"The shots," Kat whispered,  "an alert our unit is under attack." 

"Alpha two clear north east corner, two bodies Thors's Unit," Steve called.

"Alpha 3 and Max secure in th…" Kat called.

"Who is with you?" Alec interrupted.  _Oh, fuck no, what the hell are they doing in here?_ His instinct about not trusting Thor had been correct, he had already sent Biggs and half the Unit back to Max and the rest of their females but they wouldn't have had time to clear the car park yet.

Which means Max and Kat had come on their own.  Fuck, why hadn't he just brought her with him? How the fuck can they be secure in this? If these guys start to fight, they'll just roll right over the top of them. Even Kat with her training is out of here depth in here, Max pregn…

"Alpha 4 is with alpha 3 and Max." Biggs welcome voice interrupted his panic thoughts.

The rest of the Unit had found them. Relieved, he listened as they called in their positions. All except for Tav. Where the fuck is he?

"Alpha 5 clear, two bodies Thor's unit now headed for Biggs," Tav called.

It makes sense Thor would go for Steve and Tav.  If he did manage to take him, they would have been his next challengers, to Thor, it would be sensible to try and eliminate them.  But Max would have been the way to hurt him the most, and that's Thor's main motivator he thought uneasily.

He didn't realize how tense he had been until he felt the rush of relief as they emerged from the crowd. He'd been really lucky today. Despite Thor, everybody in his Unit was okay and he now had Max, here with him, safe, where he could see her. 

"All right?" he asked, his gaze flicking quickly from her stomach to her eyes.

"Yeah," she replied, feeling ridiculously pleased just to see him.  

She wanted to ask him what was going on, but he had already turned and his attention was back on the tense crowd of males in front of them.

Distracted, her eyes lighted on Biggs as he shifted closer into her.  For the first time, she noticed the rest of the unit ranged behind and around them. Something niggled at the back of her mind, something Kat had said. 

"Alec, if we got the women here, what would happen?"  

Preoccupied with what was happening in front of him he didn't hear her.  

"Alec," she repeated, her hand on his arm to get his attention as she repeated her question.

"They couldn't get through, Max, you saw what it was like. They'll be blocked out. It's not safe for them." He replied distractedly, his attention still on the noisy mass of aggressive males. 

"But if they could get in, it would diffuse things, wouldn't it? This lot would protect their units before they'd choose to fight, wouldn't they?" she asked urgently.

"Yeah, they would," he replied, glancing at her in surprise.

"I'm going to send Kat to get them.  When they get here, you can figure out how to get them in," she told him decisively.

His instinctive reaction was that he didn't want the rest of the female members of his Unit here also in danger. "No Max th…" he started to tell her, his eyes swinging back to what was happening in front of him. He just caught the flash of hurt in her eyes.  By the time his eyes were on her again, she wore the blank faced mask that he hated, the one she used to protect herself from Logan. 

"Its not your call, Alec, it's mine," she said quietly.  "A fight for alpha is a Transgenic issue, not a military one.

She might not be clear on a lot of things but she knew her job and as alpha female, she had a responsibility to the women and they needed to be here.

"If I decide that women need to be here, Alec, then they come. That is the way of it." She didn't really know why she repeated that phrase. Kat had used it when she was explaining mate fighting, but it seemed to fit. 

"That is the way of it," Alec echoed, his surprise evident. He stared at her for a long moment. 

"You're right Max, it is your call. I'm sorry.  When they're here let me know and if I still have control I will get them in."  He knew it wasn't a bad idea. Women would bring a calming influence, no Unit leader would willing let his females go against males fired up on this much testosterone. 

Surprised at how easily he had changed his mind, how easy it had been to get him to listen to her, Max stared wordlessly back at him.

His eyes searched her face for an indication of what she was thinking. If she is starting to understand and recognise how things were organised and separate for females, and she can acknowledge it as the way our instincts dictate it, then maybe she understands more than he realized.  Maybe she could understand and accept how it was for him.

"Do you understand what's happening here?"  He gestured with his head toward a makeshift, elevated platform she guessed the fight would be fought on.

He watched her eye the fight platform with distaste before her gaze swept the crowd and her conflicted eyes were once more on his.

"Yes."

"That is the way of it…?" he asked her tentatively, his eyes locked with hers.

She knew what he was asking of her. Mutely, stubbornly she stared back at him.  Its bad enough he had to do it, she wasn't going to give it her approval, she thought indignantly.

She saw the disappointment in his eyes as he turned away and she watched uncertainly as he went up the steps of the makeshift platform, into the ring. Her alarmed eyes swung to a silent Kat. 

"I'll get to see him before the fight, won't I?" 

"I don't know, Max.  Maybe its best you don't. Thor is a tough opponent; Alec will need all his focus.  He doesn't need your disapproval distracting him."  It was the coldest Kat had ever spoken to her and it made Max angry.

"So I'm expected to give this barbaric bullshit my approval am I, Kat."  

"Alec is not barbaric," Kat spat back furiously. "None off them are. What is happening here today is dictated by their instincts. It is the way of it. Who the fuck cares about your approval? she asked angrily.

Do you think Alec wants to get in that ring with Thor and be pummelled and bashed if not killed?  He doesn't even want to be Alpha, he never has. He does the job anyway because he knows he's the best choice and it has always been the best way for him to protect us.

"Alec wasn't asking you to approve this," Kat gestured expansively at the fight platform and the horde of noisy males, he was asking you to approve him, to accept him for who he is.  Not a big ask before he gets into a ring to fight for his life," she finished angrily.

Max flashed to Alec's face as he had turned away from her. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest and a tight lump of dread forming at the back of her throat.  No it isn't, she thought, closing her eyes in painful agreement.  _Please don't let those to be our last words before he fights._

"I'm going to get the women now, if won't take me long me long because most will be waiting outside by now.  When I go, half of these barbarians are going to follow me to protect me, just in case Thor has any other little tricks up his sleeve, the other half will stay to protect you.  Eyeing Max scathingly, she turned on her heel and stalked over to Biggs. 

After a short argument with Biggs, Max watched Kat head towards the crowd. Biggs, shoving the cell phone he had been trying to offer Kat back into his pocket, rolled his eyes in exasperation.  Gesturing Todd over to Max, he took off after Kat and the other males in his unit who had already left with her.  Her emotions numb and feeling ashamed, Max felt the rest of Alec's unit close in around her.  

Todd looked down at her as she stood forlornly at his side, hugging herself.  When he had first met her, he hadn't known what to make of her. A transgenic that acted like an Ordinary and thought she was a cut above everybody else. He'd resented all the time he and Tav had wasted trailing after her to keep her out of trouble, time that could have been better spent looking for Ana and Tanya.  But now she was part of his unit and since she'd mated with Alec, she had changed.  She worked hard, and she cared about what she did, and he'd grown to like her.

"Kat has a pretty sharp tongue, we've all been on the other end of it, onetime or another," he offered neutrally. 

Max, her thoughts full of Alec, regret and worry glanced absently at Todd. It took her a moment to register what he'd said. She felt herself flush as she realized he must have heard what she had said to Kat.  Of course he'd heard, he had transgenic hearing. They all must have heard me, she realized in self-disgust.

"I'm sorry, Todd, I didn't mean…I mean I didn't realize…" she trailed of lamely.  Inhaling, she tried again,  "Sometimes I say things without thinking.  I'm sorry."  
He shrugged, "I've been called worse, it doesn't really bother me.  It's better than animal.  That's what we mostly get," again he shrugged.

Yeah, but you get it from Ordinaries, not from your own kind, she thought, feeling a painful rush of shame and regret.  Thank god Alec hadn't heard her, she thought in heart-felt relief. She liked Todd, he reminded her of Zack, and it wasn't just his looks. He was solid and dependable and something about him inspired trust, just like Zack.  She pushed back the rush of pain and sadness thoughts of Zack always bought her. 

In some ways, Zack and Todd were similar, but there was a difference too, Todd was happier and better adjusted. Perhaps he was who Zack might have become if their Unit had managed to stay together after the escape.  If they had been lucky enough to have grown up together, like Alec's unit. Maybe it's who Zack has become wherever he is.  I hope so, she thought, the pain of loss lighter as she remembered the last time she had seen him, his face free of its usual tension, as he'd smiled sweetly at her. Nobody deserves to be happy more than him.

"You remind me of my CO, Todd you're like him."

"Yeah, 599 my twin, what was he like," Todd asked curiously. 

"His name was Zack, he was a good CO, a lot like Alec in that way.  He cared about us, he always protected us, always did the right thing for his Unit no matter how hard." Just like Alec is trying to do here today and all I had for him was disapproval. She heard her voice quaver as she struggled to go on.   "He was someone you could always depend on and we all knew he cared about us." Just like Alec, she thought. The tears were spilling down her cheeks now, it was pointless to try and stop them.

"A good CO," Todd confirmed. 

Yeah, like Alec, just trying to do what needed to be done.  She remembered what Kat had said about all transgenic males having the same instincts and she thought about how protective Zack had been of their Unit and she thought about Alec and her brothers and Biggs and Steve and the similarities in their behaviour.

So, Todd thought, 599 had been a good CO and a good Transgen. And Max had obviously cared about him. And that he reminded her of 599, pleased him, it meant she thought well of him.  And now she was upset, uneasily he looked down at her.  Crying.  He hated crying. He never knew what to do about it. Awkwardly, he patted her back.  Talking sometimes worked with the other women in his Unit. "Would you like me to tell you what's happening, Max?" he asked her hastily. 

Alec's eye caught and held his and Todd shrugged, signalling he didn't really know what was up as he continued to intermittently pat her back in awkward consolation. 

"Thor, Alec and those two, all fight in roughly the same class," he gestured to the side of the platform where Steve and Tav stood, their eyes like Alec's, constantly moving over the crowd.  They've all beaten each other at different times.  If Thor beats Alec, and that ain't likely," he assured her hastily, when her eyes swung to his. "Alec has consistently always had the most wins. He has never let us down and he won't today.  Thor knew when he challenged Alec that Steve and Tav would be lined up to challenge him if he did win.  He knows that one-way or another once he gets in that ring he's a dead man."

"This fucked up mate fight was the beginning of the end for Thor. He used to be a good CO but I think his Unit have been covering for him for a while. A lot of them have died since Manticore burned. Four more died here today because he sent them into the crowd after Steve and Tav, he's so fucked now he's even lost his instinct to protect his own." 

"He'd managed to reform his Unit by picking up strays from other defunct units, but after his screwing up of the mate fight today, he wouldn't have kept the males.  I heard the female who found out about the mate fight was also demanding to see you and that wouldn't have been good news for Thor either. He knows he's fucked it and Alec would have had to discipline him so he's challenged Alec."  

Good, she's stopped crying. "Thor knows he doesn't have the allegiances needed to be accepted as alpha and he doesn't expect to be, that's not what it's about for him.  He hates Alec and if he can kill him, well and good, if not, he'll cause him the most trouble he can before he dies. That is why we're waiting.  The longer Thor can stall, the better, as far as he's concerned. The more testosterone this lot drop, the more primed to fight they become and the more likely they are to explode.  Testosterone and adrenalin is being dumped in here at a rate that isn't normal unless we were going into battle.  Units are nose to nose with anyone that they've ever had a grievance with and this situation is set to blow. That is the real danger here and that is what Thor wants to happen. He ain't in any hurry to fight."   

Its all so intricate and complicated, how naïve she had been to just assume that Alec was the Commander because he had been the highest ranked in Manticore, it was so much more complex than that.  "It doesn't make sense. Why would Thor want to kill his own kind? Why would he want to do that?    Max asked in bafflement.

"He doesn't really want to kill us, he just wants to fuck Alec over the best way he can.  Manticore fucked his head, and sometimes he doesn't think straight.  This challenge has angered everybody because we know it's a nonsense, we know it's just an opportunity for Thor to settle old scores with Alec. Alec has the allegiance of almost all the Units most are only here because Alec called them. Thor has no allegiances.  If by some twist of fate, he beat all the challengers here today, most of the Units would be trying to slip out of TC tonight."

"With Alec as Alpha and with us all fighting together, we have a chance to live a free life.   Fear and anger about losing that chance is what caused the initial tension and fucked everybody off.  But as more adrenalin and testosterone has been dumped and the more primed to fight, the guys have become the less rational they are and the situation has taken on a life of its own.  If Alec looses control and they start to fight, then all White will need to do is come with enough body bags."

"Why are we putting up with Thor stalling? Why doesn't Alec just haul him into the ring?" Max's eyes followed Alec as he circled the fight platform, scanning the crowd.

" Because there are rules and the challenge takes place when the challenger is ready.  He also has the right of first strike." Todd explained patiently.  _Women you have to explain the simplest things._

This lot could be tearing each other apart any moment and the boys are worried about breaking the rules. Max rolled her eyes in disbelief.

Glancing around, she tried to pick out who Thor might be. She knew all of these Transgens he couldn't be here. "Where is this, Thor, anyway? Alec is here why isn't he?" she asked with annoyance.

"His Unit is in lockdown so he isn't with them. He's probably holding up somewhere, just waiting it out. Alec would normally be with us, or rather, you, now, since he's mated, waiting for Thor to show.  But he can't leave there, he gestured to the platform.  He is only holding this down by a thread and he's only doing that cause he keeps eyeballing the Unit leaders." 

"He's fought these challengers before, then?"

"Yeah," Todd answered surprised. "He's fought alpha challenges before and he's fought Thor before too.  Alec's been alpha since we were fifteen.  There were quite a few challenges in the first couple of years, but since then, he's had the allegiances and he hasn't needed to fight."  

They watched Alec as he circled the make shift platform, his eyes continually sweeping the noisy angry crowd.  

"Do you think I'll get a chance to see him before the fight, Todd?" she asked, her eyes once more on Alec and the fight platform.

"He can't leave the fight ring, Max," his eyes swung to her. "If he takes his eyes off that lot for a moment, they are going to start to fight. But maybe you'll be able to see him for a minute before it starts," he reassured her.  His eyes returning to the ring as he watched Alec as he continued to circle. "He can't continue to do this indefinitely," Todd added absently. 

I'll only need a minute and I will see him, she thought determined.  She could see Alec talking into his cell phone. Kat must have the women ready to come in, she guessed. She watched him shove his cell phone back into his pocket as he moved quickly to the front of the ring and, leaning over, gestured for silence as he watched whatever was happening below him.

Her heart in her mouth, Max waited for silence.  Waited for them to do as Alec had ordered.  Wondering what the hell was going on, she watched in surprise as Tav and Steve launched themselves off the platform and into the crowd.

"He's lost it," Tanner shouted, gesturing his Unit forward. 

She could feel the repressed energy around her as Alec's Unit watched the area of the crowd where Steve and Tav had disappeared and Tanner's positioned themselves along the front of the crowd, pushing back as it surged forward.

It had all happened so fast, she had barely had her eyes off Alec for longer than a moment. When they found him again, he was standing on the rail of the fight platform, his arm raised in what looked liked the gesture for challenge.  

"What's he doing?" 

"He's issued his own alpha to alpha challenge.  He's challenging the Unit leaders to fight him if their Units will not obey his orders. None of them are going to be breaking their necks for that one," Todd laughed humourlessly.

"Do you accept my challenge Kane?"   

Max could her him loud and strong, even above the din.

"Do you accept my challenge Kane?" he roared again. "Answer me?"

"No. I have no challenge." It came back clear and strong above the noise.  

"Do you accept my challenge Matthias?"

"No. I make no challenge." It was clearer again above the fading noise.

The noise level had dropped as Alec had continued challenging each Unit Leader individually. The earlier agitation seemed to have disappeared and the crowd was still again.  The smell of adrenalin and testosterone was still strong, but for the moment, they were relatively calm. 

Steve and Tav emerged from the mob. Tav had a chokehold around the neck of another male he was dragging behind him. "Tanner put this undisciplined asshole in lockup. He can't control his urge to fight," he said in disgust.  His Unit Leader is Kane, and we'll want to see him as soon as this pissant challenge has been won."  

"Yeah," Tanner agreed.  "We were fucking lucky it didn't spread," 

"No thanks to this stupid asshole."  Tav released the other Transgenic and gestured him over to Tanner.

Alec's got control back, Max thought in relief.  He's getting them to reaffirm him as alpha and restate their allegiance at the same time.  Smart move, she thought as he continued to run through every unit Leader in TC.

"Thor's unit still locked down?" Steve asked Tanner.

"Yeah."

"Bring Thor's males to the fight platform.  If Thor won't fight, then Alec's gonna hear the mate fighting dispute while we wait. Don't release the females yet."

"Find Thor and tell him the dispute is to be heard in fifteen minutes, with or without him."

"Steve, the women are waiting outside to get in."

"Yeah, Alec knows, Max, but he can't keep stalling this for much longer."  Both their eyes swung to Alec, still standing on the rail calling on the individual Unit leaders.

"Thor has fucked up badly over this mate fight and he doesn't want it heard.  He will choose to fight rather than have his fuckup aired in public. This kind of dispute cannot be heard in front of women and Thor won't come if there are women here.  Alec has given orders to the Units down the back to start letting women in once the fight is due to start. The priority is to get the fight started."

"Its better to get them in now, Steve, it will help calm things down."

"Yeah, but we would still have the problem of Thor stalling.  This has to be settled as soon as possible or what happened before will happen again and Alec isn't a magician.  He doesn't have an endless supply of tricks like this up his sleeve. Thor could stall all day.  If we're still here by tonight and Alec has to send them home, inevitably some of the Unit Leaders are going to start to pack up their Units and disappear. If any of those Units are picked up by White or any other Ordinary agencies, then we have a security problem. If we send these guys way from here with this unresolved, then they'll still be fired up and we with still have fighting except it will be spread across TC.  The priority is to win the challenge and get things back to normal."

She could see the sense of it. The priority had to be to get the fight started. "I want to see Alec before the fight Steve." 

"Yeah, Max I'll tell him."

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Alec's eyes roamed the crowd pausing momentarily as he continued to lock gazes with the different Unit Leaders. He knew that although he was the popular choice for alpha, he had no illusions that his remaining alpha depended on anything other than being able to fight off all challengers.  This was never going to be a society that voted for its alpha, he thought humourlessly, surveying the tense angry mob in front of him. He had to get Thor into the ring and soon, or he was in danger of loosing control.  He needed to get to put an end to Thor's bullshit stalling. 

Frustrated, his eyes lit on Max again.  He had seen her crying before and it had pissed him off.  He should have been hold up somewhere with her, waiting this out in private, not strutting around this ring like a captive rooster.  She didn't really understand what was happening. At least if he could have been with her, he could have explained what was going on and maybe she would have understood what he was doing and why he had to do it. He had to kill Thor today, there was no other choice.  But when he did, would that mean she would retreat from him again? Would she look at him with the loathing and disdain she had in the police station when she had thought Ben's kills were his?  He could still remember what that had felt like. It had been bad enough then, when she had mostly treated him with disdain anyway.  How much worse would he feel to see the warmth and care that was in her face when she looked at him now, replaced by that the old loathing and contempt.  

What a circus this had become, he was trapped up here.  He couldn't leave. He couldn't take his eyes of these assholes for a second.  While Thor, the crazy fuck, was no doubt laughing his socks of somewhere, just biding his time and waiting for this lot to start killing each other. 

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Max smacked the back of Todd's shoulder, trying to move him out from in front of her again. Tanner smirked at her in amusement. "The worse way to hurt any CO is through his unit.  As fucked as Thor is, even he knows that, which is why he's already hit Alec's and why they're so jumpy," he explained.

Sighing in resigned frustration, Max gave up on trying to move the bodies out from in front of her and manoeuvred so she could see around them.  That must be Thor's males, she thought, as fifteen tense, angry hard-faced males stalked past them and up the steps into the ring. Not that she could see much, through the press of bodies ranged in front of her.  Exasperated, she glanced upward to Alec.  He had stopped circling the platform while he waited for Thor's males, but his eyes were still continuously raking the crowd.

'They aren't a bad lot, it isn't their fault Thor's an asshole," Tanner commented, as Alec's unit bristled aggressively as Thor's males passed. Her attention diverted by a surge of angry noise, Max manoeuvred to see what as happening. Her eyes zoomed in on one of the largest X5's she'd ever seen.  He must be nearly 7 foot tall and at least 240 lbs. Please don't let that be him, she thought with dread, knowing it was a forlorn hope. Just the angry reaction of the crowd and the tense, watchful aggression coming from Alec and Tanner's Units as they shifted closer was enough to tell her the arrogant muscle bound hulk contemptuously flicking his eyes over them was, indeed, Thor.

"Tell the bastard I've come to fight and send my Unit down here," he demanded.

"Your females stay in lockdown, we'll send your males down. They've already been told what will happen if they try anything else.  Not that they seem all that willing to do your bidding anymore, you fuck," Steve said coldly. "If you aren't in that ring in fifteen minutes then they go back up those steps and Alec will hear their grievances. Steve's cold eyes raked Thor with contempt.

"I'll be there. I can hardly wait," Thor scoffed, his harsh mockery of a laugh following them as Max went with Alec's Unit up the steps and onto the platform. She looked around her, the whole structure was about six feet off the ground with a largish ring in the centre, surrounded by the wide ledge they were standing on.  It was bigger than it had looked from below.  .

"Where did this come from, Steve?" 

"We erected it.  We use it for training. It's portable, only takes an hour to assemble." 

Yeah right, training she thought sceptically, her eyes on Alec as he walked over to them. 

"The women are being let in now, Max, and everything is a lot less tense now they know the challenge is about to be fought."

"That's good," she agreed absently, her mind again on the huge bulk that was Thor.  "I've just seen, Thor, he's a lot bigger than you, Alec," she said uncertainly, her anxious brown eyes on his. 

"Yeah, but I'm better. There's nothing to worry about, Max," he assured her.

"Todd said that he's sometimes beaten you before," she added apprehensively.

Fucking Todd, the dickwit, he thought, as her worried eyes searched his. 

Max, her attention on Alec, distractedly returned Kats tentative smile as she and Biggs and the rest of the females in Alec's Unit came up the steps and onto the platform.

"Thor has only ever beaten me in training.  We've fought outside of training and I've always beaten him, and I will today. There is nothing to worry about," he assured her confidently, fervently hoping that Thor had been as long out of training as he had.

"Yeah, I know you will," she agreed, relieved his confident assurance calming her fear. "I was just worried about him messing with your pretty face and sending you home damaged," she joked.

Smiling, he drew her to him, "Is that your clumsy way of telling me I'm hot and you like what I've got, Max," he whispered teasingly into her ear.

"Yeah," she agreed huskily, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "I like you just the way you are and I want you back at the end of this without a dent or a scratch."

"Okay, dully noted," he laughed into her hair, thinking how unlikely that was. He knew how this fight would go and he wouldn't be pretty at the end of it. Uneasily, he again wondered about how much she really did understand about what was happening here.

"Max, I don't want you to watch the fight I'm go…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Alec, so you can just stop right there."  

He gazed warily into her determined eyes. "It will be bet…."

"Shh shh," she interrupted her finger on his lips. "I don't want to fight with you, not now.  I'm an X5, nothing is going to happen here that I haven't seen before, and I'm staying. I'm not leaving," she reiterated emphatically.

He didn't want her there, she already disapproved of the fight.  How much more disapproving would she be once she had seen him kill Thor? But she was right, he didn't want to fight with her either, not now, and he could tell there would be no changing her mind, he could see how determined she was. "Alright, Max," he agreed, resigned.  "As long as you keep well back from the ring. Thor is an unpredictable fucker and he wouldn't be above trying to hurt me through you." 

When he said things like that, she knew it wasn't just about them being good together sexually. He did care about her and seeing her hurt would hurt him. Just as it was going to hurt her when Thor hurt him. Unnerved she moved her hands up his back and hugged him tighter.

"Yeah, I'll stand back."

"I hate that you have to fight, Alec. I hate the thought of you getting hurt. But I know you're only doing what you have to do," she said quietly.

"You do, huh Max," he asked, tilting her chin up. Cautious green eyes gazed into warm brown.

"So what does that mean, then?" he asked carefully. Does it mean she wouldn't look at him with loathing and disgust once the fight was finished? That she wouldn't think of him as a killer?

Puzzled, she gazed back at him, not really sure what he was asking her. _I love you that's what it means_ she wanted to tell him.  She opened her mouth, but she felt fear tighten her chest. He nodded encouragingly at her. Swallowing, she gazed mutely back at him.  What if she told him now and what if something did happened to him? That's ridiculous.  What if she didn't tell him and something happened? she thought in panic. Her eyes fell from his.  Nothing is going to happen to him, she told herself vehemently.  Leaning up she pulled his head down and touched her lips to his ear.  It means tha…"

His head snapped up and suddenly she was behind him, not only behind him but behind Biggs and Tav and Steve as well.  Fucking Thor, she cursed in frustrated exasperation, he sure could pick his moments.  Hemmed in with Kat beside her, Max watched Thor lumber past them, accompanied by four of his Unit.

"Those guys are from Thor's original Unit the rest haven't come to support him.  It means they have rejected him as there CO. it's a gross insult. Thor will be furious about that." Kat whispered.

Great, Max thought, that's just what we need… huge, crazy and now furious as well. They watched as Thor and his entourage lumbered past and Thor paused in front of Alec.

"Ready to die, pretty boy," he demanded belligerently as he loomed over Alec.  

"Nah, not today, Thor I've got plans for tonight." 

"Better cancel them, then," he spat contemptuously, as he turned and headed across the ring.

Her eyes reverted on Alec's face.  Max could feel her fear rising as he slowly wove his way back to her, pausing and talking to each member of his unit as he did.  He's not saying goodbye she thought in panic, he's just reassuring them.

He had smelt her fear long before he'd managed to negotiate his way through his Unit.  By the time he reached her, it was strong and he could see the hint of tears as they misted her eyes and the vulnerable tremble of her lip as he reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms.  He thought about how lucky he was that she cared about him, worried about him and how good his life was now. He had his Unit around him, he had Max and he would soon have a child. He couldn't see how his life could get any better.  

"Don't cry, Max, there is nothing to worry about.  Everything will be fine," he assured her adamantly, his lips moving across her cheek in search of her mouth."

"Alec I …" but her words were lost as his mouth found hers and she felt the sweet, hot urgency of his tongue as it slid sensuously into her mouth. Thor, the fight… everything receded, there was just Alec and her.  Feeling the sharp pang of longing his touch always evoked, she clung to him as his hands on her back pulled her still closer until his body was pressed the length of hers. She moulded herself against him until she could feel the flat planes and rounded curves of the muscles in his chest and the sleek power of his thighs where they touched hers. Their mouths fused, she sent her tongue into his mouth, mimicking his thorough exploration of her mouth. She heard her own soft, strangled sound of protest as he slowly pulled away.

"I need to tell you something, Alec," she said softly, blinking as she became aware of the activity around them, He bent his head and quickly touched his lips to hers even before she had finished talking.

"Tell me after, Max, they'll be plenty of time."

"Yeah, okay," she agreed hesitantly, as she returned his sweet smile. "Be careful."

"Always,"

She watched him turn and walk to his corner were Biggs awaited him.

Standing with Kat, Steve and Tav on the sidelines she watched as Thor and Alec stripped of their shirts. Max eyed Thor's heavily muscled bulk disdainfully.  He's got to be at least 6 inches taller than Alec and twice as fucking heavy. Alec may be smaller than Thor, but he's well muscled and strong and he's incredibly fast and smart.  She ran her eyes approvingly over Alec. That's what will win it for him, she assured herself.  Her eyes swung back to Thor as he walked to the middle of the ring.  Thor's cold eyes swept the spectators, and paused on Steve, before moving past him and settling on her. She met his eyes with the same blank cold contempt.  He dropped his insolent gaze to her breasts and then leeringly down her body.  Furious, she stared pointedly at his crutch and snorted scornfully, before running her own eyes contemptuously up his body to meet his eyes again, her own, cold and disdainful. She heard his loud, raucous laugh as Alec stepped in front off her and snarled in his face. 

"He's only trying to piss you off, Alec.  Just keep your cool and move the fuck away from the rails." 

Thor focused on Tav as Alec moved off the rail. "Good advice, pretty boy. Remember it, cause your next," he sneered.  I haven't kicked your ass since Maniticore but first I'm gonna kill me your big brother, you little fuck"

He moved so fast she didn't see him turn.  One minute he was leering at Tav and the next he was half way across the ring, his foot aimed for Alec's groin. Alec deflected it before it reached his groin with the palm of one hand braced under the other.  He retaliated by smacking Thor in the face with the flat of his hand.  Seeing his easy deflection of a quicker and much more powerful kick, Max fleetingly remembered their fight and her kick to his groin.  

"First strike has been struck.  The challenge is on," Steve shouted, and the crowd roared their approval.

First blood to Alec, Max thought with satisfaction as he watched the blood pour down Thor's face as he jerked his dislocated nose straight on his face.  He was fast, much faster than his bulk would suggest. She winced as his fist thudded first into Alec's gut and then into his face.  Her eyes closed involuntarily, as she heard the crunch of bone.  

No, she thought as Thor's fist headed again for Alec's bloodied nose. Alec deflected his punch with his bent arm and for a moment they were locked arm-to-arm until Alec punched him again in the face and swinging around with a huge roundhouse kick, smashed his boot into Thor's ribs. 

"Yes," she heard Tav beside her. "Just keep going for those ribs."  

She watched in satisfaction as Alec leapt and sailed through the air, both his booted feet striking square in the middle of Thor's chest, the impact throwing Alec back onto his feet and sending Thor staggering back into the rails of the ring. Using the Rail as an anchor, Thor swung both his legs at Alec striking him in the chest.  She watched in horror as Alec staggered to his knees and Thor quickly on him, grabbed him by the hair and propelled him forward, slamming his face into the corner post of the ring. 

Again, Thor slammed Alec's face into the ring post, he's dazed he can't think Max thought, panic stricken, as Thor picked Alec up and threw him across the ring into the railing.  At least he's landed on his feet, her relief short lived, she watched Thor sail through the air using the same move Alec had used.  The thud of his boots on Alec's chest was audible, even above the noise of the crowd. And the crowd were noisy.  Cheering, she realized in disgust.

Both were covered in blood and breathing heavily, Alec's face was swollen and puffy and she could tell by the harsh noise Thor was making that his nose was making it hard for him to breath.  This was like no fight she'd ever seen.  She had know it was a fight to the death, but for the first time, her conscious accepted what it had been repressing, the reality of what that meant in terms of the punishment Alec would take here today.

She heard somebody call out "No, no more," and didn't realize it was herself until she felt an arm hook around her neck and a hand go over her mouth and she was pulled against a hard tense male body.  

Her wide eyes met Tav's. "No, Max don't distract him. Just don't look," he said, as he took his hand off her mouth and turned her head into his chest.  

She immediately turned back to the ring.  She had to look, if she stopped looking Thor would kill him, she thought irrationally. She watched Alec throw himself across the ring into Thor and they both rolled across the mat.  Thor was on his feet first. He's not dazed like Alec Max thought, anxiously, as he smashed his boot into Alec's ribs. Alec rolled out of that and onto his feet. 

His left eye was swollen shut and he's fighting blind on that side she realized as she watched him manoeuvre to keep Thor on his right as they slowly circled each other. She felt the splatter of Alec's blood on her face as he passed in front of her, shaking his head to clear it.  

"Fuck, he's to long out of training and Thor's kept his up. Alec can't take much more of this " Steve said, grunting in sympathy as Thor's fist smashed into Alec's ribs again.

"He'll be fine, he knows what he's doing," Tav snapped back. He still had his arm absently hooked around her neck and Max could feel the tension in his body at her back. For the first time, the realization that Alec could die here penetrated her consciousness. He's worried, they're both worried, she realized in desperate panic.

"Not so pretty now are you.  Ya fuck," Thor sneered," as he swung again.

"Still not as ugly as you," Alec mocked, blocking Thor's punch and hammering him in the ribs. 

"That's more like it," Steve approved as Alec pounded his fist repeatedly into Thor's gut and ribs, driving him backward against the railing. "Keep pounding his ribs." 

"No." Tav's disembodied voice came form behind her. "His own ribs are fucked, his collarbone to judging by how he's hitting.  He can't take any more body hits he's gonna have to go for a quick kill."

"But that's gotta be hurting Thor," she whispered.

"Yeah, it is but its hurting Alec more.  His power isn't there, and he's hitting weak.  His ribs are fucked," he repeated.  

Bewildered, Max watched Thor grunt in pain and his body jerk as Alec's fist drove into him again. _Doesn't look weak to me._

Thor's long arm shot out and his hand splayed across Alec's face as he held him away from his body. They looked at each other for a long moment. Alec moving so fast she could barely comprehend the move smacked his right hand into Thor's upper arm from the outside and his left hand into the inside of his forearm.  Max heard Thor's elbow snap and his roar of agony as Alec forced his lower arm out of alignment and again drove his fist into Thor's gut.  

As Thor doubled over Alec bought his clasped hands like a battering ram down on the back of his neck. Thor's wild feral eyes touched Max's for a moment as he fell to his knees.

"A quick kill," Tav repeated with satisfaction, his eyes on Thor.

Moving behind him, Alec dropped to one knee and hooked his arm around Thor's neck.  The muscles in his neck and arm bulged as he held Thor's struggling body. His hand on his head he started to force Thor's neck around.  Max could see Thor's face bulge and pulse as he resisted Alec's attempt to twist his neck.  

Thor his neck bulging with effort managed to drop his head and sink his teeth into Alec's forearm.  Alec grunted, and she watched in disgust as his blood foamed out the sides of Thor's mouth. Thor screamed in agony as Alec his fingers gouging his eyes pulled his head back up forcing Thor's teeth from his arm.  His hand and forearm again gripping Thor's head, he started to forced his neck to the side.

Her numb mind could barely comprehend Thor's ruined eyes as her gaze locked on Alec's face.  His teeth were clenched and his neck bulged as he strained to twist Thor's huge neck. She could see the muscles in the arm he had hooked around Thor's neck strain as he applied more pressure and he slowly forced his head to the side.  The snap of Thor's neck was audible as was the thud of his lifeless leg hitting the mat.  Max felt her involuntary sigh of relief.  She heard Tav exhale loudly and felt the tension leave his body as he removed his arm from around her neck.

Alec was still kneeling, his hand and bent forearm still resting on Thor's head, almost caressingly. Max suppressed a shudder as her eyes moved up.  She couldn't see Alec's face because his head was still bowed as he looked down at Thor.  He lowered Thor's head gently, almost tenderly to the mat. 

There was a huge cheer as he rose slowly to his feet and stood quietly in the middle of the ring.  He looked lost, disorientated. The tears that she hadn't shed spilled down her cheeks as Max watched him just standing there, his face swollen and bloodied. He's never, ever, ever doing this again. They can all get fucked, she thought savagely, as she became conscious of the noise around her. 

She watched Tav and Steve as they vaulted the rail into the ring. Alec's head snapped to each of them and her heart constricted painfully as he dropped into a fighting stance_. He didn't know them.  He thought he still had to fight._  She felt Kat's hand on her arm, restraining her, as she started for the ring.

"It hasn't finished yet. The Units still have to acknowledge the challenge as won."  

Max's angry, eyes swung to Kat's.  "Fuck them.  "He needs the medics now."

"Yeah, they know that.  But it was a tough fight and Alec was fighting in his instincts at the end. He needs a minute to get his head out of the fight.  He won't let the medics close to him yet   Stay here, Max. Steve and Tav know what they're doing.  As soon as it's safe, he'll have the medics.

Max could feel the cold hardness of the rail against her stomach as she anxiously listened as Tav talked.

"Its only Steve and me, Alec, the fight is finished.  Over. And the challenge is won," he told him calmly. "You need to see the medics now.  Steve's on your north west and I'm on your north east and we're coming in now, just us."

His face was to battered for her to read anything from his expression but he had relaxed his stance, so Max assumed he was now aware of what was going on.  His left eye was completely swollen shut and the right was partially closed.  He can't see properly she realized as Tav put his hand on Alec's shoulder, and the three of them walked to the front of the platform. 

Numbly, she watched as, one on each side, Steve and Tav splayed a careful hand across his ribs to brace them as he raised his arm above his head.

The cheer was deafening. They can probably hear that noise in Washington.  So much for TC trying to keep a low profile, she thought resigned. That had better be all they expect from him. The only thing he's doing now is seeing the medics and going home, she thought determinedly. 

Alec waited until the din had died down, "The challenge is finished and its business as usual.  Get back to what you're all supposed to be doing.  The scheduled raid is still on for tomorrow, except it will be commanded by Steve and not me." 

His voice was strained and she knew he was in pain. The now silent crowd had already started to leave the car park as she entered the ring.   She waited until he was sitting on a bench someone had bought for him.  She knew he couldn't see her as she approached on his blind side but he must have scented her because he turned in her direction. 

"Max."  

"Yeah, I'm here," she said as she sat down beside him.  He looks even worse close up.  She felt tears clogging the back of her throat as he turned towards her angling his head as he tried to peer at her out the small opening of his right eye.  

"I can't see you," he said in frustration. 

"It doesn't matter, in a couple of days you'll be able to." 

He doesn't need anything else to deal with, she thought, trying desperately hard not to cry and to keep her voice calm. Her need to touch him, to feel him alive and warm was overpowering, but there was nowhere on him that looked uninjured.  She snatched her hand back from where it hovered over his.

"His hand too, his fingers are broken," she told the attending medic quietly.

Her voice had changed, it wasn't warm, he thought with dread. It's detached and unemotional. He tried to peer at her again but what little vision he had was blurred. He needed to see what was in her eyes when she looked at him.  He knew with his face battered and swollen like this, he didn't look human.  He knew the fight had been ugly and probably different from anything she'd ever seen, despite what she had said about having seen it all before. Today she'd had a glimpse of his life and how he lived it.  If she couldn't accept him and if it had changed things between them and her old dislike and disgust had returned, then he wanted to know.

His system was already starting to feel the after effects of the fight.  He could tell by how lethargic he was feeling that he didn't have much longer on his feet.  He had used up all his adrenalin stores and his body needed to replenish them. He needed to eat and he needed to rest. All he wanted to do at the moment was be somewhere dark and private, where he could rest, and he needed to know if she would still be with him.  He flinched as a medic jerked his nose back into alignment.

"My eyelids.  Cut them so I can see," he ordered the medic busy taping in nose.

The medic slapped an icepack onto his eye.  "Hold this on it. You're and X, most of the swelling will be gone in a couple of days, there's no need to cut them. You're going to have to rest while your adrenalin stores replenish, and by the time you've done that you'll be able to see out the right eye.  The other won't be far behind.

"Cut them. I want to see now," he demanded.

"There is no need, the swelling will go down while your resting anyway.  If I cut them, they're liable to infect."

Max saw that he was about to argue and finding a place on his body that wasn't injured, she put her hand on his thigh.

_Touching_.  Touching is always a good sign with Max. He turned his head in her direction.

She smiled brilliantly at the Medic as she nodded her head in agreement.  Here, at least, is someone with the good sense to tell him he needed to go home and rest.

"No, Alec. He's not cutting your eyes.  You don't need to see anything. All you're doing is coming home with me, anyway. Haven't you had enough pain, today?" She heard the tremble in her own voice as once again she fought to hold back the unwanted tears.

Alec heard it to. She wasn't indifferent.  She was upset.  Experimentally, he put his hand over hers on his leg and clumsily tried to lace his fingers with hers.  Carefully, she wove hers as best she could with his taped fingers. 

TBC 

Please review it reminds me to post.  The address to read later chapters of this fic is Agora - Cradle of our civilisation - Home  If this doesn't show up this time.  Go to the top of the fanficnet page select find and when the box comes up type in zacbele and agora's address is there as my home page.


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you to Teegs for betaring. 

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

As they made there way slowly back to their quarters Max held Alec's hand her body pressed along his side so he knew where to walk. Biggs was on his other side and the rest of the Unit were ranged around them.

"We must look like a circus procession huh Max?" he asked her quietly.

"Pretty much," she replied unable to keep the affectionate amusement out of her voice.

"Yeah, well they won't be staying they know I have to eat and sleep, like now." He stumbled wearily against her.

The medic had explained how a male X's bodies could summon an inexhaustible supply of testosterone in a battle situation and their bodies would continue to manufacture enough adrenaline to meet their needs. But once the need to fight had passed and they had stopped dropping testosterone, if they had used significant adrenaline then their bodies would shut down until they had replenished their supplies. 

He'd told her Alec would need to sleep for at least eight hours and should really rest up for a couple of days. But she knew that wasn't possible. In just over 24 hours they had Units in the field and he couldn't miss that. But he had a good twelve hours and a transgenic's body could do a lot of repair work in that time.

His body was already starting to shut down she realized as he stumbled through the door after her and headed straight for the bedroom. By the time she'd followed him to the door he was already lying uncomfortable on the edge of the bed fast asleep.

She heard Biggs voice from behind her. "He'll probably only sleep for a few of hours and then he'll need food. I'll have someone send some over Max." 

"Thanks Biggs but we've got our rations for the week. We've got enough."

"He'll need a hell of a lot of food, Max, probably five times what he normally eats."

"Five times," she echoed incredulously, thinking how much he normally ate. "Yeah okay, Biggs then you better send some over then. Thor's females, where are they now?" 

"Still in lockdown. What do you want me to do with them?"

"Release them and I'll see them tomorrow morning."

"Yeah okay."

He's a messshe thought surveying Alec's bruised and battered body as he slept the sleep of the dead. Not spread-eagled across the bed as he usually was but awkwardly on the edge with one foot still on the floor. Carefully she lifted his leg onto the bed and pulled his boots off. His face was so swollen it was unrecognisable. One of his eyes was completely swollen shut and the other partially, his nose was broken and taped to his face, his ribs were broken and strapped as was his collarbone, and three of the fingers on his right hand were also broken. 

She pulled a chair up to the side of the bed, thankful for the quiet calmness after the hectic noise of the alpha fight. She still had the persistent musky smell of testosterone in her nose. Prior to today it had been a smell she had associated with her heat, pleasure and Alec. After today…she pushed the image of Thor's ruined face from her mind. 

She flinched as her eyes touched his face. It was hard to look at him like this. His face so swollen and distorted that he didn't really look human. Her gaze wandered down to his uninjured hand where it rested on his stomach, large, strong, capable hands, gentle when they touched her. She pushed the image from her mind of his hand on Thor's head as he had forced his neck around. 

She thought about what the medic had told her about the differences in the male and female transgenic physiology. She'd naively assumed that all Transgenics were like her. She hadn't stopped to consider that there might be differences between the sexes. How dumb was that? she asked herself, thinking about the difference between human sexes. When the medic had explained that the male cocktail contained more animal DNA than the female she'd been really surprised. But it made sense and certainly explained why male Transgenics seemed to be so much more instinctively driven than female and it would also explain the hugely more aggressive response to threat that she had seen today.

It was fascinating the difference in their body compositions. Female X's, although they had testosterone present in their bodies they couldn't call it up at will. Therefore they didn't have the same adrenalin highs and lows and never ran them their stores as low as males. 

What had happened at the alpha fight had taken her by surprise. Because she'd left Manticore when she was a child, she'd never seen a large group of male Transgenics in a tense or confrontational situation. So today the level of aggression and their readiness to fight had been disorientating, a shock. Just managing them and keeping control had been a battle in itself. Not a job for the faint hearted, or the ambivalent she realized thinking about how decisively and efficiently Alec had done what was needed and kept control of an explosive situation.

She'd meant it when she'd told him she understood that in fighting Thor he was only doing what had to be done. She knew him well enough to realize, he took no joy in killing for its own sake. But her understanding had now expanded to an appreciation of why any male who sought to control transgenic males would have to be physically dominant. Seeing their instincts in play today had left her in no doubt of that. They would definitely need strong leadership once they hit the streets of Seattle as an army. 

What else is different for him? She wondered uneasily her eyes lingering on his face. She remembered what Kat had also said about how he often didn't know what to do if something was outside his training or he doubted his instincts. At the time she hadn't given it much thought but she was now. If Kat was right and these were the times Alec had turned to her in the past, and she had not only been unhelpful but unaware. Then she had a problem. She needed a much better understanding of male instincts. Hell she needed a much better understanding of her own instincts.

"Max, we've just put the extra rations in the kitchen."

"Hey, Kat, thanks."

Pulled out of her musings, Max smiled at Biggs and Kat as they hovered in the doorway. Her eyes quickly back on Alec, he was normally so alert, but he hadn't even heard them enter the apartment, he hadn't even stirred. Even his instincts have shut down, how physically exhausted is he, for that to happen? She frowned.

"He's used to sleeping around us, like he is you. He trusts us, his instincts won't wake him for us, but they still would for a stranger. He's fine Max. It's normal for a male X's body to crash like this."

"Yeah, thanks Kat," she answered doubtfully, closing the door of the bedroom and followed them into the living room.

"Thor's females have they been released yet?" She asked Bigg's.

"Yeah, they've gone back to quarters. We've put his males back into lockdown until Alec can deal with them tomorrow. So there won't be any more confrontations before we've had a chance to sort it out. There'll be a couple of the Unit outside until Alec's on his feet again. If you want anything just ask them. I'll see you tomorrow then." 

"Yeah, thanks Bigg's." She waited until the door had closed on his departing back. 

"I'm sorry about calling the alpha fight barbaric, Kat. I didn't mean to criticise Alec or any of the other males. Sometimes I talk before I think."

"Yeah, well, Alec isn't just my CO, Max, he's my pack. The guys got the name calling a lot worse than we did and I guess I'm just sensitive about it but if I overreacted I'm sorry to," she said.

"Why was that, Kat?" she asked curiously.

"I guess because most of the brass, and the majority of ordinary military personnel at Manticore were male. Maybe, because once the males started to hit puberty and their instincts started to dominate, they just saw them as more of a threat than us. Who knows? Or maybe, the males were just more of a personal threat to them than the women. But male trangens were called animals as often as they were called soldiers."

"Kat, Today at the fight, Alec, only just managed to keep control. Nobody behaved like I expected. In Manticore we just did what our CO's told us." 

"Only when we were children Max," she smiled. "What you saw today was normal behaviour for adult male transgenics. You wouldn't have seen it before, because you were separated from your own kind before puberty. Prior to puberty males don't drop testosterone like that. But once they hit puberty, what you saw today is the one and only male response to threat, and that is to kill it. Its their physiology, and beyond their control. And yeah, it makes them extremely hard to control."

"Don't worry that, Alec can't control them, Max because he can and has been since we were teenagers. He knows what he's doing. Alec leads the males, both as their commander as Manticore trained them, and as their alpha, because he's dominate."

"Our instincts dictate that we follow an alpha. We select them on their suitability and their dominance, both our male and our female alpha's alike. For females, Alec is our military Commander, and we will follow him because he is the best Manticore trained but he is not our alpha. In all things that are not military, we follow our own alpha. It used to be me, now, it's you."

"What happened here today was normal in the sense of being typical male behaviour. But it was also an aberration in that the Units are always integrated, they're never usually without women. Normally Unit leaders would never have permitted their males to congregate like that, without females being present."

"We don't drop testosterone, our range of response to threat is greater, and our heads are clearer. When we're present males are calmer, and their instinct to protect us overrides their instinct to fight. Unless they're in their instincts, they don't act on their own, so if we don't see the need to fight then things generally stay calmer." 

"The territorial instinct is the strongest instinct transgenics have. We protect our own before we do anything else." 

Max didn't even have to think about it, she knew it was true. Her own protection of Ben flashed immediately into her mind, and Zack who had shot himself to save her. She nodded in agreement.

"Once we started to hit puberty, Manticore discovered that the old controls no longer worked. The Units started to protect their own, above anything else regardless of orders. To some extent we'd always done it anyway, but we'd been discreet about it. Once the males hit puberty they protected each other and us automatically, their instincts wouldn't let them do anything different and discretion for them was no longer an option." 

"Puberty also made them more aggressive, their instinct to rank each other in terms of dominance, also came to the fore, and they started to fight amongst themselves to establish ranking order. That also meant they started to measure our ordinary Manticore handlers against a dominance-based criteria. When the handlers came up lacking they started to disobey them. Started to behave like a bunch of 'uncontrollable animals,' as Manticore brass described it."

"Manticore tried to bring them into line with punishment, but it didn't work. I think that at that age, most of the guys just saw that as a direct male-to-male challenge, and resistance became greater. Discipline became such an issue for males, that it was affecting the day-to-day business of Manticore," she laughed cynically. "In the end they had the brilliant idea of separating the males from us, so that the discipline problem, as they perceived it, wouldn't spread." 

"So they separated us, and reformed the Units on a same sex basis," she laughed again. "The only trouble with that was that at that time we weren't particularly obedient either. We were just less aggressive about it and we weren't always in the handler's faces. For three months we were moved into different segregated areas of the compound while they worked to get the problem as they saw it under control."

"It was a really bad time for all of us. It was the first time the Units had all been separated for any length of time, and we were not only worried about each other, we discovered that we didn't function as well separated. In the field on our own, we weren't as effective without males because we didn't have the aggression, or the same physiological ability to keep fighting indefinitely. During that time Manticore only attempted to field one all male combat unit and it was such a discipline disaster that over the rest of that three months, there were no male units in combat."

"That time was also bad for woman, in that without males distracting the handlers with their shit, they had much more time to concentrate on us," She grimaced ruefully. "I spent nearly as much time in discipline and punishment over that three months, than I had in total before then."

"The males fared far worse than we did. Once they separated them from us, the handlers found they had even less control. At least within their Units we could control them if their shit annoyed us too much or they were in danger of taking it to far and getting themselves shot. We'd also always controlled the fights for dominance because they annoyed the hell out of us; the handlers couldn't stop them. So without us there they also went unchecked. For the most part, males don't talk about the methods Manticore used, to try and subdue them, over that time, but from the condition they were in when they amalgamated us again, we knew it had been bad." 

"We were threatened by our handlers that if we behaved like animals then we would be treated like them, just as the males were. I guess that is a bit of an indication of how they treated them. They don't talk about it now that they're older, but they were different when they came back. They all had hang-ups about their instincts that weren't there before. Some women, myself included, believe that their secretiveness and self consciousness about male stuff, isn't instinctive, but stems from embarrassment and insecurity, that had its roots in whatever they did to them, over that time."

Max could well understand that. She had developed a loathing for heat, purely as a result of negative experiences around it. How much worse, would that loathing have been, if she'd been ridiculed and tortured because of it? Puberty transgenic style, she reflected sadly. 

"So how did Manticore manage to get them back into line then Kat?"

"Manticore only had one response, and that was punishment. When that didn't work, they put them into 24/7 lockdown. Then one day, when we went to roll call the males were there waiting for us," Kat swallowed as her mind flashed back to the shock of seeing them that day. "They were in a pretty bad way, they hadn't been feeding or exercising them and they were starving, physically weak and filthy, and many had quite severe injuries, which hadn't been treated." 

"We were told that since they didn't know how to behave like soldiers, they would in future be treated like the animals they were. At that same roll call, we were introduced to two animal behaviourists, who we were told would be working in conjunction with the handlers, on male discipline."

"How old were you all then, Kat?" Max asked quietly.

"Thirteen to fifteen." 

"We were told, that in future, we wouldn't be individually punished for our own insubordination. Instead, another member of our unit would be shot for every infraction. If it were a unit leader who disobeyed then two of his Unit would be shot. They, the behaviourist knew that given our DNA our strongest instinct was to protect our pack and so they harnessed that. Manticore had re-established discipline and gained back control, before lunch," she ended bitterly.

"Those two behaviourlists worked alongside the handlers to control us up until the end. For the most part, they left the females alone as we were less instinct driven anyway and they had more than enough work controlling male behaviour. They worked up a profile of weaknesses on every male and that combined with their knowledge of their instincts was what they used to control them. The guys purely hated them. The males in our Unit were actually searching for them as Manticore burned. So were other Units, they were the most hated of all of Manticore's officials." 

"Alec, was the first to find them, but he was gone by the time the Units did. We knew it was Alec because he'd told them both how he'd kill them when they'd forced him to choose two of our unit to be shot, when he'd failed a mission. He'd been seconded out of our unit, over that time, and Steve was officially our Unit leader so we shouldn't have been punished for Alec's failure. But the behavioralists ordered it anyway. We left them how we found them. Hopefully, they took a long time to die," she ended contemptuously.

The Berrisford mission, so not only did he lose Rachel, they also killed two members of his pack, to mark his failure, Max thought sadly. Alec hadn't been kidding, when he'd told her, it got harder as they got older. 

"I guess, we need to talk about what we're going to do about the females in Thor's unit. Any ideas?"

"Not really, I knew what they wanted prior to Thor dying, but I don't know what they want to do now. There are ten of them and twenty males. They used to be Cloud's unit but he was killed escaping Manticore. A few months ago, they joined up with Thor's Unit and accepted him as their Unit leader. The females weren't happy with Thor and they wanted to form their own Unit with Dale as their new Unit leader. Dale wasn't really keen and wanted to wait and give Thor a chance. So they agreed to stay another three months with Thor and see if things improved and if the females still weren't happy then they would form their own Unit." 

"The male who killed in the mate fight was Dale. He was Clouds 2nd and the one they wanted as their new Unit leader. The female he was fighting for was Leah. She's the alpha female in that Unit. She'll not want to work with Dale now he's killed her chosen mate, which creates a huge mess because they're a Unit and none of them will want to split away from each other either." 

"Plus, there's Grey screaming blue murder because his male was killed. That is for Alec to deal with but…it's interesting. We don't know what that's about because we've never been privy, to any discussion over mate fights."

"But, Steve, has told us that Thor fucked up over this mate fight. So my guess is that Thor maybe violated some of their protocol round mate fighting and that is why Grey also has a grievance," she rolled her eyes. 

"Sarah is the alpha female in Grey's unit isn't she Kat?"

"Yeah, she's already indicated, that she's a grievance she wants addressed."

"Make sure she's there, with her females tomorrow morning as well. We may as well hear their grievance at the same time."

Thankfully, we won't have to worry about it until morning_,_ she thought, as she closed the door after Kat.

Climbing across Alec, she lay on her side beside him, and propped her head on her hand. Even, after only a couple of hours, the swelling in his face was starting to subside, and he looked more like himself. Smiling with relief, she stroked her fingers gently across his cheek. There was still a fair amount of bruising but the swelling around his left eye had almost gone. He should be able to see out both of them when he wakes upshe thought with satisfaction, thankful for their speedy transgenic healing powers.

The broken ribs and broken collarbone were another matter. His ribs and his collarbone were all taped, and it would probably take a few days before they were no longer sore. However he was alive and safe now and he would be okay, she thought with relief. Indulging her need to feel him warm and alive she leaned over, and brushed his swollen lip, with a feather soft whisper of a kiss.

When he opened his eyes, a couple of hours later, she was still in the same position.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah," he replied in a husky voice.

"How are you feeling? Is there much pain? The medic gave me some pain killers, do you want them?" she asked in a rush.

"I'm okay Max, it's just good to be able to see again."

"I'll get you a drink and some food. You must be starving by now? I'll be right…"

As she swung across him, Alec grabbed her wrist, ignoring the ache of pain in his ribs. 

"I'm okay, Max, just stay here for a bit." 

She didn't look convinced, but she settled back down beside him, on her side again. He didn't let go of her hand, but settled it on his stomach, rubbing his thumb in a slow circle over the back of her hand. He turned his head and studied her intently, his gaze running over her face lingering on the inviting softness of her mouth and back to her eyes.

"So then, what do you think about me now? Now that you've seen how I live my life. Pretty basic, pretty animal, huh Max?"

She could see a mixture of uncertainty and wariness in his eyes. Unsure, of what he wanted her to say, she stared back.

"Why do you say that Alec?" she ventured cautiously.

"Cause it's true, I'm an instinct driven animal," he shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it, Max, but I thought you might. If you'd stuck around Manticore longer, you would know how it is, for us. But since you didn't, I thought getting a glimpse of how I live may have been a shock for you. Thor's, death was ugly," he ended, his eyes moving past hers.

"You did what you had to do, Alec, it was him, or you, nobody, would blame you for his death,"

"Wouldn't they?" he asked quietly, his eyes sad and old. Once again, Max felt the bite of regret for all the things she hadn't understood.

"No," she answered softly. She looked down at their joined hands were they rested on his stomach. "So don't blame yourself Alec. You only did what had to be done."

"Thor, wasn't always like that, Max. It was Manticore that fucked his head. They did the same things to my head. I could so easily have been the crazy one instead of Thor. Maybe I am as crazy? After all, I just got into a ring and beat one of my own kind to death. That's not exactly sane is it?" 

His voice sounded cold, but his eyes weren't, and she felt a painful twisting in her gut, as she stared helplessly back at him. She knew the pain of being forced to kill. Alec might always seem on top of things, and always able to do what was required, but at what cost? She wondered, staring back at him.

"You aren't crazy," she said fiercely. "You did what had to be done for the good of everybody. There was no other way in the time we had. But after we've fought and won our right to survive out here, we can change things. We don't have to do the same as we did in Manticore, it's different out here. We're different out here." She could see his doubt and scepticism as he considered her words.

"We've already changed things, Alec, you and me, just by being together and being happy. By having this baby we've changed things." Gently, she moved her hand in small circles on his stomach. "We've changed Manticore's plan for us, and we're going to keep on doing that. We're making our own lives now, and we can change whatever we fucking well like. Manticore knew nothing about our instincts or us. We don't even know about them ourselves. You told me yourself we're all on a learning curve so our future and who we are isn't mapped out, its fluid and its up to us to decide how we live it. And if you're an instinct driven animal Alec then all I can say is that every transgenic female should be so lucky to have one just like you," she added fiercely.

"They can Max, they're all like me," he answered impassively.

"There's only one of you, Alec, and you're all mine, and I aim to keep it that way." Her expression hot and possessive, she leaned in and kissed his shoulder.

When she pulled back he was grinning at her, that genuine, nothing-held back, dazzling grin that transformed his face and always made her breath catch in her throat. When his smile faded he continued to hold her gaze his eyes searching and intense.

Max, couldn't look away, so many emotions tightened her chest as she looked at him. His face was still battered and bruised, but the swelling was mostly gone, he looked like Alec again, he was alive and safe, and she was so thankful for that.

"Do you mean that, Max?" he asked his face a mix of pleasure and hesitant acceptance. He wanted to hear her say it again. It was so good to finally have her approval after trying so hard and so long for it. Until her heat he'd despaired of her ever looking at him like she was now.

"Yes, you're mine," she repeated possessively. "And I don't care if you turn into a werewolf at the full moon, I am most definitely keeping you."

She watched the confusion of emotions flick across his face. How could she ever have believed he didn't care about what she said to him? She watched him struggle for something to say. _He does love me, maybe he doesn't know it yet, but he does,_ she told herself with certainty. 

Alec felt a rush of delicious pleasure as she claimed him. Her words washed over him and left him floundering as he tried to sort through a surge of emotion. "So you're happy with me, Max?" he finally asked, already knowing the answer. He'd known she was happy with him right from the start of her heat. But she'd never said it, and he wanted to hear her say it. 

"Have you ever been so happy, Alec, that you're afraid it can't possibly last? Because you know you've never done anything to deserve to feel this good," she answered, her lips quirking in hesitant self-mockery and her eyes filled with emotion.

"Yeah, Max," he agreed huskily, feeling a peculiar tightness in his chest. We're so alike, he thought ruefully, searching her anxious soulful gaze. Ignoring the pain in his body he reached up and caressed the nape of her neck stroking his fingers across her barcode, "I won't do anything to fuck it up, Max," he whispered huskily, as he guided her head down to his. Not intentionally anyway, he vowed silently, as his lips touched the soft warmth of hers.

"You only have to stay alive, Alec," she whispered back, thinking it wasn't him she was worried about fucking it up. 

"Yeah, Max," he agreed. He had her, he was free, and so was his unit. They couldn't kill him when he'd had a lot less to live for than he did now.

The touch of her lips were gentle and too fleeting. His hand on her neck he guided her back for another deeper taste. She jerked back as his mouth found hers again.

"Your lip it's split! I don't want…"

"It's healed already. Feel." he murmured into her mouth. He waited until her tongue had gently explored his lips before he opened his lips over hers and sucked her tongue into his mouth.

He'd been kissing her for so long that when he pulled away she lay there, her eyes fluttering languidly. Max watching him as he watched her saw the emotion shadowing his eyes as they roamed her face. "What Alec? What's wrong? Are your ribs hurting?" she asked anxiously, after a long silence.

He wanted to tell her he loved her, but he could feel that hard ball of reluctant fear forming in his gut. 

"Huh, Max, no I just…I was just thinking, I love kissing you, " he mumbled, feeling like a fool. Who would think telling someone you love her would be this hard?

She smiled brilliantly at him "I love you kissing me too." Her eyes fell to his mouth before returning slowly to his eyes. "So, why did you stop then? The low teasing huskiness of her voice sent a bolt of awareness and desire through him. 

His stomach rumbled loudly.

"Ah I see you're obviously hungry for something other than me?"

"I'm too weak to handle you at the moment," he teased against her throat, suddenly aware of how light-headed he was feeling. "How about I eat and get my strength back and we pick up from where we left off?"

"How about you eat and then you rest?" she disagreed decisively. "Just like the medic told you," she added, bracing her hands against his ribs as he sat up.

"With a little help I could do both," he ventured, his eyebrow raised in hopeful expectation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec leaned back in his chair grinning as he rubbed his now full stomach.

Max, her elbow leaning on the table and her chin propped on her hand had been watching him in amazement as he'd consumed the vast amount of food Biggs had left for him_. _Where the hell had he put it all? Running her stunned eyes over the array of empty ration containers she peered at his flat stomach and washboard abs. Certainly not in there.

"Don't even tell me what that was all about Alec?" she said rolling her eyes.

"Okay," he laughed. "Did, Steve, say what he'd done with Thor's males?"

"Yeah, they're in lockdown until tomorrow."

"I'll sort them out once I've had a couple more of hours sleep."

"They'll keep until tomorrow. Tonight, you're doing what the Medic ordered Alec. Resting."

"Thor's females where are they?"

"They've been released and are back in quarters until Kat and I see them tomorrow. Steve told me that Thor fucked up over this mate fight."

"Yeah, that's right Max," he agreed levelly. "I think I'll go back to sleep for a couple of hours.  Wanna come and keep me company?" he suggested, smirking hopefully at her.

"Yeah, okay," she agreed. The medic had said he had to rest until his adrenaline stores had regenerated and she was determined that was exactly what he was going to do. Even if it meant anchoring herself to his side all night. Hardly a hardship, she thought, a smile quirking her lips as her eyes ran over his bare footed Jean clad figure as he walked slowly and stiffly into the bedroom ahead of her.

And after he'd slept she wanted to find out what he knew about this mate fight and what he planned to do about it.

"How long before you can use your arm again?" she asked, her eyes on his taped collarbone. 

"Four or five days at least.  Same for the ribs," he sighed. "This couldn't have happened at a worst time. I wanted to be in the field the first time we deployed the new fighting Units. These guys are used to working in their own familiar Units with their own pack watching their backs. They've never been in combat without women before, either. "

"Surely, Manticore didn't always work them in their original Units," she asked curiously, as she settled herself on her side beside him.

"Yeah, in combat situations we were always deployed in our Units. Manticore discovered very early that we functioned best in our familiar Units. Fewer casualties, plus it was the only way they could control us. If you fucked up they punished the other members of your Unit, which ensured nobody fucked up."

"The behaviourlists figure that out?" she asked.

His eyes snapped to hers. "Who told you about them?" 

"Kat, is there a reason she shouldn't have?"

"No," he answered defensively, his eyes sliding off hers.

"She said they were the most hated of all the Ordinaries at Manticore." 

He didn't answer, and she could tell he was uncomfortable.

"Does it bother you, that they called in animal behaviouralists to control us?" she guessed.

"Not that they called them in, but that it worked. Those bastards were able to control us just because they knew how to manipulate our instincts. Male instincts, Max, not yours. They didn't bother with females, you aren't as instinct driven as us. No matter how hard I train and discipline my mind and body, it means nothing when my instincts come into play."

"We're both instinct driven animals Alec. I used to worry about it when I lived with Ordinaries and had to hide the real me. But I don't now.  Not since my heat and I stopped hiding from my real self. And yeah, Manticore did use our instinct to protect what is ours to manipulate and control us, and maybe they managed to taint them for us. But we're free of Manticore now they no longer have power over us. So now, we're free to appreciate our instincts and everything else that makes us different from Ordinaries." She thought about her heat, something despised until she had enjoyed it with him.

"I like who you are, Alec, and a big part of you is your instincts." She didn't see his sceptical expression as she nuzzled his ear. "I like you just the way you are, every hot, sexy, animal inch of you," she breathed throatily in his ear, as she traced its delicate inner workings with her tongue.

She felt the gentle tug of his hand in her hair as he tilted her head back so he could look at her. His sceptical eyes searched hers, "You like me just the way I am, huh? Then why have you spent the last year bitching every time I didn't know how to act like an Ordinary?"

She felt her heart plummet. Why indeed_?_ she asked herself helplessly.

"Can I plead insanity?" she offered tentatively. 

He stared at her for along moment. "Are you thinking perhaps to offer to make it up to me with sex?" he asked, his eyebrow raised in teasing inquiry.

"I could be," she answered thoughtfully, pretending to consider it and feeling a huge wash of relief that he was only teasing her. "Would it work?" she asked imitating his teasing tone.

"It just might, after you'd convinced me you really do like me just the way I am." He'd tried to make a joke of it, but he found himself blurting what he really felt before he could stop himself. 

His tone was still light and teasing but his eyes weren't. They were watchful and vulnerable she realized in panic. This wasn't a joke to him. It was important. Frantically she searched for something, anything, she could say to convince him.

Was this her chance? The moment she'd been waiting for. Was this the right time to tell him she loved him? Or would he just dismiss it, dismiss her. Could she actually say the words through her clogging fear? 

He scented her fear. Okay, so she'd said, 'she liked him just the way he was' it was just a throwaway comment, why the hell did he have to make such a big deal of it? 

"What are you afraid of Max?" he asked her quietly, immediately wanting to call it back afraid of what she was going to say.

His question finally penetrated her panic. What was she afraid of? "I'm afraid that I'll say or do something else wrong and that I'll fuck everything up," it rushed out of her.  In her panic it was said before she'd really had a chance to think.

It was his own fear verbalised and tossed back at him. He stared at her silently for a long time and her sense of helplessness incompetence grew.  His face now wore that bland, closed, expression she hated. 

"There's nothing to be afraid off. I was just teasing you. Let's just drop it it's not important."

"Yes, it is Alec! One off the best things about having you in my life, right from the start, was the fact that you accepted me for who I was. I didn't have to be always on my guard worrying about whether I was human enough to be acceptable when I was with you."

"I never ever, ever, meant to make you feel it wasn't okay for you to be yourself," she said emphatically. "The only adult males I'd ever had anything to do with were human and you were so different, and sometimes when that made me uncomfortable I did treat you badly. You know I'm sorry for that."

"Yeah, I know you are, Max and really it doesn't matter. I don't even know why I brought it up. Let's just forget it, huh? Just come over here and let's try and get some sleep." 

She moved carefully under his arm and into his side and settled her head on his shoulder.

"You're wrong, Alec, if you think I didn't like who you were. I always did, and I do now." 

"Yeah, I know Max, it's okay, just go to sleep." He moved his shoulder and settled her further down so she could no longer see his face.

It wasn't okay he didn't believe her. How could he not believe her? Everyday, she tried to show him how much she loved him. She might be new to this relationship stuff and not to good at it, but she wasn't so bad that he couldn't know she at least liked him for himself. This was his shit, not hers. Impatiently she jerked upright moving to his side until she could see his face again. She folded her legs in front of her and glowered at him.

"It's not okay, Alec, it pisses me off that after two months of sleeping in your bed and being your mate you still think I don't like you. Why the fuck do you think I'm here? Why the hell would I mate with someone if I didn't like who he was?"

She couldn't be so incompetent he didn't even know she liked him, she thought despairingly.

"I'm tired, and I'm going to sleep, Max." _Why the fuck, couldn't he just keep his mouth shut._ He closed his eyes, hoping against hope that she'd just let it drop.

"You're so fucking immature, Alec."

She watched his eyes snap open. Ha, that always pissed him off she thought in satisfaction. And when he's pissed off he at least talks.

"I'm not immature, Max," he ground out. "I'm tired and I need…"

"Tough," she bit out. "You're just going to have to suck it up and listen to what I've got to say."

She watched his eyes narrow and immediately knew she'd miscalculated. He hated to be told he had to do anything. He sat up stiffly, using his abs to pull himself upright.  She scooted into him, her thighs on either side of his as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"No, wait please, Alec?" She leaned her body against his stiff back and slid her arms around his waist from behind. "I don't want to fight."

"Me neither, I just want to sleep."

"Just answer me one question?" 

His body was tense against hers but he hadn't tried to move way from her. It was easier talking to him like this. Easier when he wasn't looking at her.

"So, tell me then, Alec, we've been together for nearly three months now and every single day I've been happy with you and everyday I've tried to show you that I, that I…how I feel, but I've made such a bad job of it you think I don't even like you for yourself."

"I didn't say I thought that. I know you're happy with me. I know you like it in my bed. But you like the human side of me.  You don't know my other side. That's all I was saying. I didn't mean to bring up old history."

He felt her stiffen and her body withdraw until only their thighs were touching where they rested along the outside of his. 

He thinks, I just like to fuck him, she thought numbly. She'd thought everything was going so well between them. Every day she felt closer to him and all along he'd thought she was only with him because she liked to fuck him. Not only that she'd had absolutely any inkling that he felt like that. Her thoughts in turmoil she slid out from behind him and started to change her clothes. 

He watched her quietly. At first he'd thought she was angry, but it wasn't that he realized not able to gauge what she was feeling because she wore that still emotionless mask he loathed. She'd asked him, and he'd told her. It was the truth. She didn't know him but it had also been the wrong thing to say.  He could tell that by how she'd withdrawn. And where the hell was she going? He wondered uneasily. 

She did know him her numb mind told her.

"I always knew you were there right from the start Alec," she said, as she pulled her jeans off. 

At first, he didn't know what she was talking about. 

"My instincts may not be as keen as yours but I was always aware of you. I always knew if you were around, all those times you had my back when I was doing Logan's crap." 

She glanced emotionlessly at his surprised face.

"When I was in hospital that time I knew you were there, so there was no point in calling you. I never said anything when you ranted at me for not calling you because there didn't seem much point." She pulled her cargo pants on. "I knew you were just doing what you had to do.  Protecting me just like Zack and my brothers and sisters had.  Just looking after your own, as your instincts dictated." 

She knew he was just doing what his instincts demanded he repeated in his head, as he watched her rummage through her drawer.

"So, how is that not knowing you Alec?"

"I knew when you weren't there too. Like when Zack tried to kill Logan and him and I fought. And earlier on today when Kat was telling me about the mate fighting, I figured out why you weren't there," 

His head came up and his eyes locked in challenge with hers. 

"Yeah, I remembered how I didn't see you for a few days over that time, and when I finally did you had some inexplicable injures very similar to these." She ran her eyes over his body. "And if I remember correctly you were really defensive about them. I would have realized you'd been fighting at the time if Zack had also been injured."

He shrugged as he remembered how quickly Zack's body had repaired its injuries. He met her eyes unwaveringly. He would have preferred she hadn't figured this out and it was embarrassing that she had, but he'd done nothing wrong.  He had nothing to be ashamed off. He'd challenged for her in the proper way.  He'd approached Zack as her Unit leader to stake his claim. Zack had refused him and staked his own, so they'd fought.

"So who won then?" she asked curiously as she changed her top.

Might as well tell her he had nothing to loose.  He watched her pull her bag out from the bottom of the wardrobe. "We were too evenly matched.  One of us would have had to kill the other. Neither of us were prepared to do that so we fought each other to a standstill," he replied tonelessly, remembering how keen Zack had been to do just that.

"So, what did that mean exactly?" 

"It meant, that unless he tried to put his scent on you, Max, I wouldn't have fought him again. Is that why you're leaving?" _So much for her liking every, animal, inch of him_, he thought bitterly, watching her jam her clothes into her bag.

"No," she sighed. "I figured that out before the alpha fight and it's got nothing to do with anything. I just need some time to think." She didn't need to see his sceptical face to know he didn't believe her. "The only one trying not to kill anyone in that fight would have been you, Alec. I know how fucked up Zack was then. Contrary to what you think in some ways I know you very well." 

In all the ways that count, anyway, she thought sadly. "If you and, Zack, were fighting then I'm sure it was only because you couldn't see any other way." She could see his shock and confusion.

"So, why are you leaving then?" he asked, even more confused.

"I need to think so I'm going to stay with Cece, for a few days."

"So, is this going to be what happens whenever I say something you don't like?  You're just going to leave like a sulky little girl. And you're the one always telling me I'm immature," he scoffed. "Yeah right."

He only said it to piss her off. Once he got her angry she wouldn't leave. She'd want to rant at him and he'd have time to figure out what to do.

Don't let him piss you offshe told herself as she shoved her clothes into her bag.

It was never very hard to annoy her and he was good at it. He tried again, "So, where are you going to be staying then. Outside of TC now you'll be a liability to us, a security risk," he told her patronisingly. 

"I'm not leaving TC," she said mildly. "I'm just going to Cece's for a few days. I don't want to argue with you, Alec."

He watched her zip her bag up in total panic. He could always make her angry. Why wasn't it working?__

"So you're leaving because of what I said then?" he asked, in a panicked effort to get her to stay and talk to him.

"No, it has nothing to do with what you said, " she replied tonelessly, her back to him as she opened the door. It's not what you said, it's what you feel, she thought sadly. 

"I just need some time on my own to think about things. That's all, its nothing you've said or done it's just about me."

Bullshit, he thought as he leaned over her and pushed the door shut. "Everything was fine before I said you didn't really know me, Max," his hand was still leaning on the door. "Isn't this a little bit of an over reaction. Just packing your bag and leaving because I've pissed you off?" he demanded. 

He was angry now. Everything had been fine.  Less than half and hour ago she'd been telling him how happy she was, and now she was leaving without even caring enough to say why. His eyes raked her still emotionless face as she stood quietly, her gaze fixed firmly in front of her. God, how he hated that face! Furiously he grabbed her bag and threw it across the room.

"That would have to have hurt your ribs, Alec." Calmly she retrieved her bag. 

_Fuck yes, it had._ Feeling like an idiot he stood there as she ignored him and quietly waited for him to move away from the door.

"I'm sorry for…"

"Don't apologise. I've already told you there's nothing to apologise for. I just want some time to myself. What's so hard for you to understand about that?" she asked in frustration. 

"Yes, there obviously is something wrong. What I said pissed you off or you wouldn't be leaving me," he shot back in frustration. 

He was really starting to annoy her now. "I'm not leaving you," she enunciated carefully like she was speaking to a child. "I'm just going for a few days to think about things." Reaching around him she tried to open the door.

"I'm not moving Max. I want to at least know why the hell you're leaving me and don't give me any more bullshit about how I haven't done anything, 'it's about you,'" he mimicked angrily. 

"And what the hell isn't about you anyway?" he added furiously.

"I'm not leaving you, you great oaf," she shouted, completely loosing any grip she had on calm. Who the hell did he think he was? 

"I just want some time to think about things," she reiterated through clenched teeth. What the hell was wrong with him? If she wanted to leave she damn well would. 

"You can think about things here," he glowered furiously.

"I'll think about things where I fucking well choose.  Not where you tell me!" she yelled back. "After all, you can't fuck me for a few days so there's not much point to me hanging around anyway. Is there?" she demeaned angrily. _Oh god, why did I say that?_

Groaning inwardly in horror, she felt her anger draining away. That's the first time, he'd ever done that she thought as she watched him flush.

Relieved he'd at least got a reaction Alec glared back at her his flare of anger gone. Furious Max he could handle. Calm unreachable Max he couldn't. He knew he'd fucked up.  Argued with her about nothing when she'd only been trying to be nice to him. So she didn't know him very well.  Big deal.  He knew she was trying her best. And he sure as hell hadn't meant to give her the impression he only wanted her around if he could fuck her_,_ he thought guiltily.

"Look, Max, I shouldn't have said what I said. I don't know why I did," he said truthfully. "I know you were only trying to be nice to me. I'm just strung out cause I'm tired. I don't want you to go tonight.  Not like this. Let's talk about it and if you still want to go in the morning, you can."

"Don't tell me what I can or can't do. I can go now if I want to Alec. You can't stop me. Who the fuck do you think you are?" She wasn't angry any more but he wasn't telling her what she could or couldn't do either.

"Yeah, you can," he agreed, moving stiffly away from the door. "But please don't.  Stay until the morning. I really need to sleep tonight and if you go like this I won't. I'll worry about you." 

He knew if was blackmail but he didn't care as long as it kept her here and gave him a chance to talk to her. It seemed to be working he thought hopefully as she stood indecisively in the middle of the room swapping her bag from hand to hand. If he just said, nothing else she might…with a sinking heart he watched her head for the door. 

"There's nothing to worry about I'm not leaving TC. I'm just going to Cece's."

"I told you I wouldn't do anything to deliberately fuck it up Max. Why are you?" He'd done all he could. If she still wanted to leave without telling him why then so be it.

She just needed to be on her own to think about her failure, to think about what she was doing wrong and what she needed to do differently. Why couldn't he understand that and just let her go?__

"I'm not, I just…"

Preoccupied with thinking about how to explain her need to lick her wounds in private, her eyes absently roamed his face.  The tape across his nose was white against his skin. 

Suddenly it all felt wrong. What was she thinking? Forgetting his sore ribs Alec turned away to quickly. She saw his involuntary grimace of pain when his hand automatically went to brace his side.

Her thoughts went to the other time he'd been injured and had needed transfusing. She'd been going to leave him then too so she could see Logan. This was the same thing. When he'd told her how he felt and she'd realized things between them weren't going as well as she'd thought, it had scared her.  As usual her first impulse was to run away like a coward. Leaving him injured and thinking he'd done something wrong, when his only crime had been to tell her what he was feeling. The unwelcome, but all too familiar feeling of inadequacy swamped her again and she looking longingly at the door. Dropping her bag she followed him back into the bedroom.

He glanced at her in surprise, "I thought you were leaving?" he asked impassively. He wasn't going to argue and make it any worse. If she didn't want to stay with him she had a right to leave without him trying to make her feel bad, or guilty about it. He wasn't Logan. At least she would be safe in TC and he could talk to her tomorrow.

"I'm sorry, I overreacted. I guess I'm just jumpy cause I need sleep. Your right, if you want to go to Cece's for a few days its no big deal," he lied. It was a big deal to him and it felt wrong. But then he was new to this and maybe time apart to think was a good thing. Just because he had nothing to really think about didn't mean she didn't. 

"No, you're right Alec we've both got a lot on tomorrow it would be stupid…" she trailed off, not really having any explanation and suddenly feeling like an idiot. How did she explain she'd just done what she always did with him? Let her fear act, instead of her head or her heart. Tried to run away again the minute the going got tough. Okay, so things between them weren't as good as she would have liked.  She could think about what to do about it just as easily here, as somewhere else. 

Alec felt the tension he hadn't really been aware of leave his body in a rush. He couldn't believe his good luck. A minute ago she'd been angry and ready to march out the door. Now she was standing awkward and subdued in the doorway. He hadn't the faintest idea what had changed her mind but he gave silent thanks for whatever it was. Wearily he leaned back against the headboard. One thing for sure with Max around things were never dull.

"It's been a really stressful day I guess we're both just tense and strung out. Let's just try and get some sleep, we'll both feel better for it."

"Yeah," she agreed, feeling inadequate and foolish. Relieved that he hadn't asked her why she'd changed her mind she knelt on the bed to swing across him. His hand on her arm he stopped her. Sitting on her heels, her knees on either side of his thighs they were eye to eye. His hand cupping her face he guided her down until their noses were touching. 

"I'm glad you stayed Max."

"Yeah," she agreed, her eyes sliding off his. "Sometimes I can be immature too," she offered with a quick rueful grin. 

He grinned back, as she swung across him.

"You don't look very comfortable Alec?" she ventured watching him slowly manoeuvre onto his back.

"Yeah I am," he assured her. "It's only movement that hurts. My arm is okay as long as I don't jerk it around. Just don't jolt me," he said, as she settled tentatively against his side. 

It was still early evening and although she was mentally and emotionally exhausted she wasn't really sleepy. So she had plenty of time to think. She'd known right from the start it wasn't just sex for him. He really did care about her. What was she doing wrong that he didn't feel she cared about him awas only with him because of the great sex? 

They may have got together because of her heat, but sex on its own wouldn't have been enough to make her stay with him. She'd done everything she could to show him she loved him. She'd tried to treat him with the same care he treated her. She'd even watched Kat with Steve to see what she did. She just didn't know where to go from here_._

TBC 

Please review it makes me feel good and encourages me to post.


	24. chapter twentyfour

Er, yes you are right. You have waited long enough.  Sorry I will be quicker with the next chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Four 

Max slowly became aware of her surroundings.  Waking up was getting harder as her pregnancy advanced.  She was nearly three months and had never needed to sleep as much as she did. Unfortunately tonight she'd been awake for most of the night anyway.  She lay quietly orientating herself, the events of yesterday rushing into her mind, along with the anxious nag of dread that had been with her when she'd finally fallen asleep. 

At least Alec had slept in fact he hadn't stirred all night. Lying here like this so close to him physically she had never felt so alone or distant from him.  What if she never managed to convince him that their relationship wasn't just about sex for her?  How long would he be happy to stay with someone whom he thought not only didn't love him but who didn't even like him?  Not long she thought her dread growing as inadequacy swamped her.  Why would he settle for that when he could have anyone he wanted? 

She had never been surer of anything than she was that she loved him, she knew without a doubt.  Who would have thought it would be this hard to show him.  How incompetent was she?  Not only did he not know she loved him but he felt she didn't even like him. How could she have gotten it so wrong?  She'd tried so hard to show him but not only had she failed miserably, she'd been completely oblivious to the fact he thought she was only with him for the sex. What if it wasn't just Alec she thought she didn't love him? What if she couldn't show her baby that she loved it either?  What if she failed there as well? She fought to blink back the tears of shame and failure and to push down the deep and terrible fear that engulfed her.

Alec's eyes snapped open, he'd become used to the scent of Max's tears. Both her heat and her pregnancy had meant that her emotions were closer to the surface. She was just as likely to cry if she was happy, as when she was sad.  He knew it annoyed her how quick she was to tears and even though he knew it was just hormones he found it disconcerting as well. Without thinking he tightened his arm around her and tried to roll onto his side towards her.  The pain in his ribs was immediate and excruciating and he groaned in agony. 

Max froze her liquid, brown eyes found his her hand involuntarily moving to his taped ribs. "It's alright Max, I forgot and moved to fast that's all," he assured her his eyes searching her face. This wasn't just pregnancy hormones he could smell her fear she was really upset about something.  Ignoring the dull ache in his side he pulled her closer as she anxiously tried to hold herself away from his injured ribs, her tears momentarily forgotten.

"Alec, you'll hurt your-"

"What's the matter Max," he interrupted, his worried eyes moving over her face. "Last night I was a jerk. I know you were only trying to be nice to me.  I'm sorry, if that's why you're crying…" he trailed off suddenly doubtfully. If that's why she was upset, how come he could smell fear?  Why would she be afraid?

"Nothings the matter, you didn't do anything last night, its just pregnancy hormones that's all," she mumbled, feeling foolish as she vainly tried to hold back the unwanted tears once again sliding down her face. "I wouldn't have left you injured, like this" she assured him gravely, her eyes large, liquid and intent on his.  "I didn't leave you the last time either."  

He didn't know what to say, he knew she was talking about the last time he'd been injured, and it was true she hadn't left him then or this last time either, but she had been going to, both times.  He didn't really understand what she wanted him to say but she needed him to say something, he realized as he watched her eyes grow more distressed as he stared silently back wondering what she wanted from him.

"No you didn't Max," he agreed cautiously.  That was pretty innocuous. It can't make anything worse. He smiled optimistically, at her.  It had though, he acknowledged at a loss, his smile fading as he watched more tears slid down her cheeks. The smell of her fear was getting stronger.  He hated that smell on her.  "Tell me what's wrong, Max?  If you don't tell me I can't fix it," he coaxed, frowning.  "It can't be just hormones or you wouldn't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid," she denied irritably,  "It's just my stupid hormones." Scrubbing her eyes she glared balefully at him. "I suppose you think I'll be a useless mother don't you?" 

What the fuck?  He gazed at her in bemusement, how the hell had they got to this? Is that what was worrying her?

"I think you'll make an excellent mother, Max," he assured her without hesitation.

At least he didn't have to think about that one for half and hour she thought angrily before she registered exactly what he'd said. Her eyes swung to his. "You do?" she asked suspiciously.  "Why? I'm obviously not good at showing people I care about them.  What if I'm no good at showing the baby I love it either?

"What makes you think that?" he asked frowning, totally at a loss. 

She was really worried about this.  She'd stopped crying and had calmed down but the scent of her fear still lingered. "All the important people in your life know you love them Zack, Cindy, Joshua…Logan," he added grudgingly.  His eyes flicking momentarily off hers before returning to hold her gaze. "Why would the baby doubt it?

Max returned his gaze her eyes steady her mind working furiously.  He was right.  Of course he was right she realized her relief overwhelming. Zack and Cindy and Joshua all knew she loved them, and she'd even managed to convince Logan she loved him when she didn't.  So why the hell couldn't she convince Alec who she really did love she wondered in frustration?  

"Why do you leave yourself off the list off important people in my life, Alec?" she asked him quietly.  She could tell she'd taken him by surprise as she watched a range of emotions shadow his eyes.  Feeling his stomach muscles clench under her hand as he prepared to pull himself upright, she slanted her leg across him to keep him there.

"I want to know why you'd run through a list of people important to me Alec and include Logan but leave yourself off. What the hell is up with that?" she demanded.

"Nothing is up, Max I think I'll get up and get up an early start," his hand on her leg he tried to move it off him.  

She resisted.  "Not this again Max," he sighed in exasperation as he subsided back onto the bed, his eyes on the ceiling. "Look, I don't want to fight with you, okay.  I didn't mean to leave myself off 'the list.' I meant nothing by it."  He didn't want to talk about this he thought uneasily, he'd only end up saying something he'd regret and probably piss her off again.

"Then why did you include Logan?" she persisted into the silence.  

She can't argue with herself if he just said nothing maybe she'd just forget it and let it drop, he thought knowing it was a forlorn hope.

"You've been on my list of people I care about since I met you. I care more for you than I do for anybody else and certainly more than I ever did for Logan." 

His head swung to hers.  As his eyes locked with hers she saw the shock and raw emotion, before he blanked them and she was looking into the bland emotionless face she hated.  He smiled that empty meaningless grin that went with the hated face. 

"Yeah, okay Max," he agreed emotionlessly, as he slowly and stiffly started to sit up.

Surprised at his withdrawal, without thinking Max reflexively slid her bent leg up and pushed him back down again.  Horrified she saw him flinch as he fell back his grip on her leg crushing.  "I' I'm sorry Alec I didn't think I didn't-"

"Why do you like to hurt me, Max," he interrupted his voice raw and full of emotion. 

Max instantly knew they weren't talking about his ribs. She stared wordlessly back at him, in that moment realizing that just trying to show him she loved him was never going to be enough. They had too much between them for that to ever be sufficient.  He was not only going to need to hear it she was going to have to convince him she meant it.  

Sighing, she belatedly realized she was no longer afraid of telling him and regretfully lamented when she'd thought her own fear was her only obstacle. It wasn't her fear but his fear she'd have to overcome if she was ever going to convince him she loved him. Her eyes scanned his face as he stared stonily in front of him.  One of the biggest barriers to that was he wasn't ready to hear it she reluctantly accepted. 

"I would never hurt you, intentionally," she answered simply. 

He'd known that she hadn't hurt him deliberately.  Why the hell was he such a jerk to her?  He knew that if he talked about this he'd end up saying something he'd regret, and true enough he already had. He hadn't deliberately left himself off the list of people she cared about.  He knew she cared about him, but he'd just been hesitant to include himself towards the top of her list. That was all. 

When she'd said he was up there with Zack, Cindy and Joshua, for a fleeting moment he'd thought she was saying she loved him, but then she'd gone on with all the nonsense about caring more for him than she'd ever cared for Logan, and he'd known that it was just more of the emotional confusion she'd been in since her heat. 

He knew she was doing her best.  A lot had changed for her in the last three months, who could blame her if she was still off balance and hadn't sorted her feelings out.  But having that fleeting moment of hope and then loosing it had still hurt. Swallowing past the lump he hadn't realized was in his throat, he became aware his preoccupied staring was making her uncomfortable. 

So okay, convincing Alec she loved him wasn't going to be as easy or straightforward as she would have liked.  Nothing ever had been with Alec anyway she reflected, her lips quirking involuntarily. That was one of the best things about him; nothing was ever predictable or uncomplicated when he was around.   He needed to know she loved him, wether he realized it or not she thought determinedly.  In time he would grow to accept that she did and maybe his care for her would grow into loving her in return.  Soon, she hoped, it was scary feeling this way on her own she acknowledged uncomfortably, growing increasingly more self conscious as he silently held her gaze.

Finally unable to bear his scrutiny any longer she broke their gaze and nuzzled his ear.  Immediately his hand went to her head and he wove his fingers in her hair.  

"If you don't want to piss me off, Alec, then don't ever leave yourself off a list of people I care about again," she told him quietly her lips on his ear. 

His hand in her hair he turned her face until their eyes caught, gently he rubbed his nose on hers. Good, she thought as she watched his lips quirk in a quick smile and she gazed back into his once again unguarded eyes. 

"I like the way things are between us Max, I'm happy and so are you. Right?" he asked, his eyes questioning on hers. Smiling when she nodded in agreement, he again nuzzled her nose with his.  "So, its okay to leave things as they are? Right?" he asked, his expression quizzical his eyes again wary as he waited for her to answer.

"Yeah," she agreed softly, regretfully, knowing it would have to be left where he needed it to be left. Her heart ached both with the need to tell him she loved him, and from the pain of knowing he didn't want to hear it.

"Okay," he murmured huskily, nibbling her lower lip. "How about we pick up where we left off yesterday then?" he murmured sucking on her lower lip."

She sighed heavily. Doesn't he have any common sense whatsoever?  He could hardly move.  There was no way they could do what he'd just whispered in her ear. Not without jolting his ribs anyway. Never the less she couldn't help but admire his resolve.  Sighing again her eyes drifted closed as his mouth closed over hers. She returned his kiss with the same fire and passion he offered her until she felt him try to move, and he groaned in pain into her mouth. Guiltily, her own desire rapidly abating she pulled back and looked at him.

"We can wait a few days until your ribs are better and you're not in pain Alec." 

"I don't wanna wait," he murmured, nuzzling the warm scented hollow behind her ear. "Let me worry about my ribs Max they're fine," he answered as he carefully pulled her compliant body closer.  

He looked at her in surprise as she removed his arm from around her and moving away from him she settled herself on her back beside him. She slid her arm under his neck turned her head on the pillow beside his and smiled brightly at him. She tried hard to suppress her amusement as he appraised their new position; his eyes darting quickly back to hers.

"So no sex then Max?" he sighed despondently. 

"Not while you're hurt, Alec, it won't kill us to wait a few days," she told him not sure whether she was more exasperated or amused.

Sex would be better but this wasn't too bad either he thought, as her hand stroked soothingly across his temple and through his hair.  Surprisingly good in fact.  His eyes drifted closed. Too bad they had to be up in an hour.  Even without sex her touch was just as good.  Comforting he thought nuzzling his face into her neck.

A few days abstinence won't kill us.  His body was repairing itself at a rapid rate anyway.  He should be as good as new in a few days. Baring the tape on his nose his face was virtually normal again and all the swelling and bruising had gone. "Your body repairs itself a lot quicker than mine.  Is that just you in particular? Or is that another gender difference," she asked running her fingers idly through his hair.

"Another gender difference Max we're built for different things." 

Yeah, she thought appreciatively, Viva la difference. 

"Kat and I are seeing Thor's women this morning.  Did you know that they had wanted to leave Thor's Unit and form their own Unit with Dale as their CO? His warm breathe on her neck was distracting, she thought as she played with his hair.

"Yeah, I knew that, Max, but Dale wasn't to keen he's only young, Tav's age.  It's a big responsibility taking on a Unit. He wanted to give Thor a chance first before he made a decision." 

He wasn't as worried about her being involved in sorting this out as he had been.  The way she'd handled the alpha fight had astounded him. She'd not only accepted it but she'd tried to comfort him. Plus she'd also accepted he'd fought Zack for her.  He was coming to trust she was beginning to understand and accept the way it was for him. Maybe even starting to accept who he was.

"The fact that both Dale and Leah the female he was fighting for, are from the same Unit, adds another complication to what is already a nightmare to try and sort out.

"So who will take command of the Unit now then?" 

"Dale will have to Max, he's the only one suitable. The only one in that Unit with the allegiances to take over."  

"What," she sputtered horrified. "He's killed Leah's chosen mate.  Not only are you not going to punish him you're going to make him her CO.  What the hell is that about Alec?" she demanded, her hand stilling in his hair.

"Dale is the only suitable CO within that Unit.  If he doesn't take command then we'll have to amalgamate them under another CO.  The Unit won't want that, and we have nobody available that can take responsibility for 30 extra bodies, anyway," he answered, sensing her growing annoyance and regretfully thinking she was going to stop touching him soon.

"Dale is the only chance they have of staying together Max.  They've been together since they were children they won't know how to split up."  

"What about Leah? She won't want to be in the same Unit with him let alone work with him as alpha female. She's the victim here, not, Dale, and she's certainly not going to be further victimised by being torn away from her family."

"Pack, Max," he corrected her, disappointedly realizing she'd definitely stopped touching him.  A shame, for some reason it was always easier to talk to her when she was touching him.  She didn't seem to get so pissed off with him.

"Yeah whatever, I don't care what we call them.  It just isn't happening!" she insisted, moving away from him until she was lying on her side beside him.

"There is a possible solution?" he suggested neutrally, thinking it probably the only solution.  "Grey's had a male killed illegally and I have to compensate him.  His Unit is very short of females and he would take Leah gladly.  According to Grey his male had no intention of going to Thor's Unit, Leah wanted to come to his Unit.  Since Leah was intending to go to Grey's Unit anyway she may still be prepared to do that."  

"Do alpha females usually transfer units?" Max asked doubtfully.

"Not usually, no, that has been puzzling me to, but Grey was adamant that was the situation." Alec replied shrugging.

"Well she would have been intending to go with her mate, Alec.  Going alone to a strange Unit is not the same thing. That's not a solution that's making a sacrifice of Leah.  No, she won't be doing that," Max decided her eyes determined as they met his. "A women's mate has been killed illegally Alec, what are her rights," she asked impatiently.

"She's entitled to compensation.  The male killed was her mate so she has first claim on his killer.  Her Unit can demand that the killer is released to them and they would normally kill him. However in this case it would be pointless because it's his own Unit, they won't kill him, nor will they let her."

"Grey also has the right to ask for Dale to be turned over to his Unit but he isn't asking because he knows the fuck up was not Dale's fault.  This situation is Thor's responsibility.  Every male in TC knows that and there isn't one who would allow Dale to be disciplined for it." 

"Grey has had a male killed illegally and he is asking for compensation, which I will provide as best I can."  He'll probably want the equivalent of my firstborn child Alec thought with resignation.  "You'll have to sort out if there is some way to compensate Leah."  He knew as he said it how inadequate it was but he had nothing more to he could offer.

"How do you compensate a woman for the senseless killing of her mate?" Max demanded indignantly.  "How the hell can you kill someone and not be responsible, Alec?" she asked angrily. "That's just ridiculous."  
  


Alec snorted humourlessly at her naivety. "Very easily Max and that is what happened here."  His face was closed and wary and his eyes unwavering as they met hers. 

"Alright then tell me why he's not responsible?  Tell me what happened?  If we can convince Leah that he is blameless then maybe they will be able to continue to work together." Dubiously she waited for him to answer. 

"Even if I wanted to Max I couldn't tell you, it's male business." Women finding out about mate fighting was every transgenic males worst nightmare. Their instincts were their own business they had to deal with them and they preferred to do it privately.

Male business indeed she thought impatiently as his eyes moved past her and fixed on a point just past her shoulder, "Not anymore Alec it's now every bodies business.  It may have been male business when it was secret but now it's women's business as well. The women in Grey's Unit want justice for their pack mate. The women in Thor's unit don't want to loose either Dale or Leah."

"This particular incident is no longer private male business.  It now involves women with grievances and when I meet them this morning they will be demanding the full facts.  To ensure that justice is served and more importantly that the best outcome is achieved for everybody, they will have to have those facts. I think you know that, Alec?" she added quietly.

"Yesterday after the alpha fight I had women demanding to know why you were all gathered together without us prior to the fight. There isn't a woman in TC who'll settle for anything less than the full facts. I understand mate fighting has always been male business in the past," she ventured carefully. "However women know about this fight, and Dale has killed a woman's chosen mate, if it isn't straight out murder then the reasons for that have to be made known."

Alec eased himself carefully onto his back, his expression closed as he stared impassively in front of him.  Disappointment sliced through him as he stared bleakly at the ceiling. She's got no idea.  He'd been mistaken in assuming she was beginning to understand 'the way of it' for males, let alone accept it.

"He was protecting what was his Max," he replied tonelessly. 

It had been a mistake to stop touching him she realized anxiously feeling the distance and disconnection between them even thought they were only inches apart.

"This can't be swept under the carpet.  The women directly involved won't be fobbed off without answers and nor will the rest of us Alec.  We have a right to know," she ended."  Immediately she knew it was the wrong thing to say she could tell by the muscle now ticking in his jaw even if she couldn't smell his anger.

"What about our rights Max?  Our right to not be pushed into coming forward before either you or we are ready.  What would have happened if you had found out Zack and I were going to fight for you, huh?" he demanded angrily.

"I would have chose you as my mate, Alec," she replied knowing it was true but also knowing he wouldn't believe her. Her eyes narrowed in furious irritation when he laughed uproariously. 

"Max, you would have bitched me out, mocked me and probably never have spoken to me again so don't give me that bullshit," he answered cynically.

She glared at him in angry frustration. Instinctively reaching out to pinch him she stopped when she remembered his ribs.  He raised his eyebrow mockingly as he realized her thwarted purpose, which made her all the angrier so she pinched his waist below the strapping anyway. He grabbed her hand and held it in a crushing grip his eyes angry on hers.

"Don't you dare fucking tell me what I would have done," she ground out furiously. "I would have taken you as my mate I would never have let you and Zack fight over me. One of you would have had to explain it all to me of course because hey I'm not a fucking mind reader. Unlike you who knows what's going on in my head better than I do," she raged jerking her hand free.

"I'm sick and fucking tired of you doubting whatever I say. When the hell have I ever lied to you? What the fuck is wrong with you?" she hissed furiously as she moved to roll of the bed. 

She felt his arm around her waist as he pulled her back. 

"What?  You're leaving again?  Running away because you don't like what I've said," he demanded. 

"No, I'm not," she shot back immediately.  I'm not running away she repeated in her head feeling herself start to calm down. She was flat on her back and he was he was lying beside her his arm around her waist and his body partially on top of hers restraining her.  

He was still angry; really angry she realized her eyes drawn to that muscle ticking in his jaw. What the hell was happening that they couldn't spend five minutes without fighting? They'd been talking about Dale and Leah and suddenly they were arguing about their own personal stuff. They had fought more in the last twenty-four hours than since her heat had started. She didn't want to fight.  I hate fighting with him.  

"We have to sort this out, without letting our personal stuff get in the way." It had seemed harmless enough when she said it, but it wasn't she realized, as she watched the little muscle ticking in his jaw speed up. His angry eyes found hers again.

"That's just it Max that's what you don't get.  To me it is personal.  Killing when we're in our instincts is transgenic business not military and is adjudicated between the alpha's." he answered angrily. "Killing our own when we are on war alert is a breach of discipline punishable by death. That is why every male in TC was in the car park prior to the alpha fight.  They knew women had found out about this mate fight, and they had come to make sure that Dale was dealt with fairly, because we all know that one day that could be us."  

Max's eyes flicked between the ticking muscle and his angry eyes her mind running over everything. She remembered what Kat had said about transgenic males all being the same except for their faces, and also what Alec had said about all other transgenic males being exactly like him. Preoccupied with her thoughts she rubbed the palm of her hand absently on the ball of his shoulder.

She was rubbing his shoulder and it was annoying, distracting him, making him focus on her instead of what she was saying. Carefully accommodating his ribs he shifted again making sure his weight wasn't heavy on her. She was right he grudgingly acknowledged he had to do the best he could for Dale, and the meant everybody understanding that he had killed in his instincts.  The killing was therefore an illegal killing not a breach of discipline. 

He was all too aware he only had one vote when it came to transgenic issues. Both he and Max would have to be in agreement for any resolution. This wasn't the time to air his personal stuff with her.  Not that he wanted to do that anyway; he acknowledged cursing his new inability to keep his mouth shut. The sooner his ribs were healed and he could go back to sex instead of talking the better as far as he was concerned.  

He jerked his shoulder away from her hand bringing her focus back to him. She noticed the absence of the ticking muscle, still angry, but calmer she decided.  Ignoring his pointed irritated glance at her hand she continued to rub his shoulder.  One thing she'd discovered very early on about Alec was that touch connected him like it connected her.  Since her heat she'd also discovered that when he was touching her it brought her focus straight to him and she started thinking about him and not what had made her angry. It always calmed her down and she thought it was probably the same for him.

Yeah, definitely working.  He's much calmer and less tense she congratulated herself as she felt his angry tension subsiding as she continued to rub his shoulder. Her glance flicked from his ribs to his eyes as he shifted again. "I'm not going anywhere Alec, if you're not comfortable lie on your back," she splayed her hands across his ribs to brace them in readiness for him moving.

"They're fine much better, I'm just trying not to be too heavy on you, Max."

"You're not," she assured, reaching up and pulling his head down. "If I promise not to apologise, will you?" she whispered her cheek against his.

"Yeah," he agreed smiling.  "You're right.  If we're going to sort this out properly we have to keep our own personal stuff out of it."  So far easier said than done he admitted ruefully to himself. 

"If you tell me that Dale's not responsible Alec, I believe you, because I trust your judgement. That's not even an issue for me."  As she said it she realized how true it was.  If he believed Dale should not be held responsible then she trusted him completely, but she still needed to know what had happened.

"However the women involved will still need a full explanation." She couldn't tell what he was thinking and his expression was odd but his eyes were on her and he was listening.

"Leah has lost a mate and she's now about to loose a pack member.  Don't you think she deserves to know what happened? Do you think if it was you who'd been killed that I would let your death go un-investigated and your killer go free without an explanation?  So you think I would just let myself be shunted into a strange Unit and forget about you?  Do you think the other women in your Unit would tolerate that either? She noted his silent agreement.  

"No.  We wouldn't.  We would demand answers and if we didn't get them we would go looking for them ourselves. This morning I meet with the women in Grey's unit as well as Leah's and they will be demanding answers. If you don't provide them Alec they will go looking for them themselves?"

She had a way of cutting right to the heart of an issue he acknowledged and she was absolutely right.  If the illegally killed male had been from his Unit his females would be demanding answers and if they didn't get them they would go looking for blood.  Grey's females will be the same, but to explain Dale's situation he would have to explain the mechanics of mate fighting and how that operated for males. 

The implications of that were much bigger than this one incident, but what other choice was there.  She was right this was no longer just male business She was still rubbing his shoulder but it wasn't annoying him now, in fact it felt good. His eyes roamed her face absently as he thought about her words.

Max could see his indecision. He doesn't know what to do she realized as she looked into his conflicted eyes. He's a good leader and he wants to do the right thing but his instincts are telling him to keep this to himself. Or maybe it's his Manticore experiences and conditioning telling him its safer not to trust.  

"This mate fight has resulted in what appears to be a needless death. It's left a lot of angry women with very real grievance.  Out here things are different.  You don't need to hide who you are like you did in Manticore.  Maybe its time for you to trust us? You're all our brothers and our mates Alec we need to understand what is going on for you.  None of us are going to judge you anymore than you judge us for our heat. If we no longer have to hide from Manticore why would we choose to hide from each other?" 

His eyes were fixed intently on hers and she could see him mulling her words.  She couldn't read what he was thinking but he was listening to her.  He was no longer angry, and her feeling of disconnection from him had gone.

"I know the least of any of the women about any of this, Alec, and I've accepted without question that your instincts dictated you fought with, Zack. If it is the same for Dale then the other women will accept it as well.  The best way to work this out is for you and me to work together."  

He continued to appraise her wordlessly weighing up her words. She could tell when he decided to trust her before he began to speak.

"For a male to claim a woman in our way, he has to register his interest with his CO, who goes to the CO of the female.  If there are prior claimants her Co tells his.  He decides whether or not he's prepared to fight for her.  If he is prepared to fight, his CO arranges it with her CO, and he fights.  Whoever wins has first claim to her and fights all challengers for as long as he wants, or until she chooses a mate."  

"If women know nothing about this then what if the female choose a male who isn't fighting for her."

"That's only ever happened when women are either in heat or there's been a screw up as in Dale's case." Alec shrugged.  He didn't quiet understand why it always happened like this.  

"We never deliberately step over another males claim our instincts don't allow it.  Sometimes a woman will have strong interest in a male who doesn't have first claim to her.  In that case the CO's will talk and the first males CO will do his best to persuade him to give up his claim.  If he won't as is most likely the case, then both males are ordered to make themselves known to the women within a certain timeframe and her decision is accepted as final."

"What if she doesn't want either of them?" Max asked, her mind furiously running through the implications of this for women.

"To my knowledge that's never happened.  What almost always occurs is that the woman picks the male with the first claim anyway, even though she has shown strong interest in the other male."  We've never been able to figure out why that is." 

Max felt like laughing out loud at his puzzled thoughtful expression. 

"The system works well for us.  It's well organised and it avoids the uncontrolled situation that Dale found himself in, thanks to Thor's incompetence." 

Watching his discomfit and unease as he talked Max realized what an incredible leap of faith he was making in telling her any of this.

"When Dales unit joined Thor's, he registered his claim to Leah with Thor, like he was supposed to. All males interested in alpha females know there is going to be other interest, so the males in the females unit often fend of a lot of casual enquiry themselves. This is what had been happening in Leah's case.  Dale had fought four challenges for her.  That signalled to any other male with interest that Dale already had an emotional connection to her, and he was probably prepared to kill to keep his claim. So unless they knew they were much better fighters, or they also had an emotional attachment, they wouldn't have challenged him."

"Grey's male unfortunately, didn't enquire casually through the Unit.  If he had, he would have been told of Dale's claim and in my opinion he wouldn't have challenged for her because he definitely didn't fight in Dale's class. He made his approach to Grey, who approached Thor, as is the way of it.  Unfortunately, Thor either because he was fucked in the head and genuinely did forget, or for some mischief of his own didn't tell Grey about Dale having first claim.  In the meantime I sent Thor's and a couple of other Units into the hills looking for stray transgenic children. Leah stayed back with her injured second."

"Grey's, male thinking there was no other interest moved on Leah. In the two weeks her unit were away she obviously accepted him as her mate. When the unit came home, Dale was a few minutes ahead of the others."  Probably eager to see her, poor bastard. 

"He met Grey's male unescorted, in the stairwell of his territory with the smell of the female he already considered his mate all over him. Grey's male wouldn't even have known what hit him, only that he was fighting for his life.  Dale would have been in his instincts from the moment he scented, Leah. His instincts would have gone for a kill. The whole thing probably wouldn't have taken a minute.  When the rest of Dale's Unit got there, the other guy was already dead.  It took them a while to get Dale off him and by that time Leah, and the other females in the Unit knew what was happening."

"The whole thing was a comedy of error and misfortune.  If the other male had know Dale had prior claim then he would not have put his scent on Leah nor would he would not have been in another Units territory unescorted. If Dale had known she'd chosen the other male as her mate he would not have been anywhere he would make contact with either Leah or that male until he had things straight in his head. When he encountered Grey's male not only in his territory but also with the smell of his female on him, the outcome was a forgone conclusion. The whole sorry fuck up was down to Thor not looking after Dale's interests and failing to give Grey the right information so he could look after his males interests".

This was nothing like she'd imagined Max thought in bemusement.  Mate fighting had seemed so primitive and frankly ridiculous when Kat had first told her about it. But the organization and common sense to it given what she was coming to understand about male instinct made perfect sense. At least form a male perspective.  She would need to think on it for a while before she decided if it worked from a female perspective. "So are you saying that Dale is blameless because he couldn't control himself," she asked in clarification.

"No Max. I'm saying Dale is blameless because his territorial instinct responded, not him.  He didn't summon the response and he couldn't send it away. His instincts responded in exactly the same way every other Transgenic male would have in that same situation. His instincts sent him after a kill.  The only thing that could have prevented him killing Grey's male was if his Unit had been there and able to forcibly prevent it, and he would have fought them.  We have as much chance of controlling our territorial instinct Max as you do of stopping your heat from coming."

A powerful comparison.  It certainly helped to put it all in context she thought as she struggled to digest it all.  It now made perfect sense why Alec would think Dale was blameless. 

Telling her hadn't been easy but now he had he felt a lot better. All she had to do was understand how it was for males, she didn't even have to accept it, just understand it so they could sort this mess out as best they could.

She knew that trusting her with this hadn't been easy for him and his eyes were weary and guarded as he waited for her to respond.  Her hand lingered as she tucked his hair behind his ear.  His eyes flicked to her hand and then hesitantly back to her eyes.

He saw the flicker of something he couldn't decipher in her eyes but they weren't mocking and she wasn't angry any more, in fact, her expression was warm he decided.  She understands he realized feeling a painful wash of relief. 

"So we have to figure out a way to keep the Unit together with Dale as the CO but without disadvantaging Leah?" Max summarised.  "No small task," she added smiling ruefully.  

"Yeah," he agreed thinking how good it was to be able to talk this over with her. "That would be the ideal outcome but I don't see how it's possible.  She's refused Dale as a mate and he won't be able to be around her until he's got his head straight and he's managed to disconnect his instincts from her."

"How long would that take?" Max asked curiously.

Alec shrugged, he thought about how long it would have taken him to disconnect from Max if she hadn't taken him as her mate and wondered if it was even possible.

"He won't be able to stay in the same Unit as her, Max."  

"So far we know that Grey wants compensation but there isn't much else we can do until you've met with the women and we know what Leah wants.  The important thing is we both agree that it's an illegal killing and not a breach of discipline."

"Right," she agreed her affectionate eyes roaming his face.  He looked strained and tense again she thought her hand going to the tape on his ribs.  "Are they sore Alec?"

"Nah, they don't hurt at all unless I move." It wasn't the ache in his ribs bothering him but the ache in his groin.  She'd been touching him while he'd been talking.  Not even in a sexual way but it had still made him horny and he wanted her. She shifted, her movement bringing them into more intimate contact and having an immediate effect on his already enthusiastic body.  She hadn't missed it either he realized watching desire momentarily flare in her eyes before she banked it down again.

"We can't Alec there's nothing we can do that either of us would be able to keep still for.  We're just gonna have to wait until your not so sore," she finished, smiling as he buried his face in the curve of her neck and groaned.

"We still have a while before we have to get up.  Just talking is nice, too," she offered playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Grinning from ear to ear she struggled to suppress her laughter as he grunted his unenthusiastic agreement against her throat.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max looked around the table at the women gathered. Eleven women from Thor's unit including Leah, fifteen from Greys including Sarah his alpha female. There was a fair amount of tension between the groups. Understandable really.  Grey's Unit had lost one of their males and Thor's thought they were about to loose Dale. 

"Are their any women here going on the mission tonight?"  Max asked scanning the room. Five hands went up no six.  The female beside Leah lifted her hand up for her. A dazed and withdrawn Leah didn't even appear to notice**.  **She looked as stunned and as shell-shocked as I would if it had been Alec who'd been killed as senselessly as this**.  **

She wasn't tall probably about Max's own height but there was something about her, even quiet and lifeless like this she was beautiful. Given what Alec had told her surely Grey must have thought it odd that she had no other suitors. She had the same creamy skin, green eyes and red hair as Kat but hers was a lot curlier, she looked a bit like those pictures of the huge assed women in art books, in fact.  

"Okay we'll hear Sarah's Unit first and then Leah's.  Then Kat and I will tell you what we know."

As Sarah talked Max studied the women with her. Sarah didn't really tell her anything she didn't already know.  What did come through was her that their male Canine had been a well-loved member of their Unit and they were really angry at his killing. Nothing less than Max had expected.

"What do the women in your Unit want to happen Sarah?" she asked when Sarah had finished talking. 

"Grey has told us he's asked Sir for compensation for Canine's illegal killing.  We've told Grey we won't accept that and he's not to do it on our behalf."  Our Unit claims Thor's male in the normal way as is our right."

Out of the corner of her eye Max saw the woman next to Leah jab her hard in the side with her elbow. Leah, with the aid of her seconds elbow, started to take in what was happening. 

"Let me get this straight Sarah your Unit cannot agree on what it wants here." Max felt the ripple of discontent from the women with Sarah.

"There are ten more males in our Unit than there are females. It usually doesn't matter when we vote because the males don't vote in a block.  On this they did. We don't understand it. We don't like it.  And we're not accepting it.  It doesn't count," Sarah stated adamantly, to the murmur of agreement from her females.

"If Grey thinks that is how things are going to be done in our Unit he can fucking well think again," the woman beside her added heatedly.

"That's Mila she's Grey's mate," Kat whispered.  

"I would also like to ask Leah why the hell she didn't tell me she had another male interested in her?" Sarah asked angrily.

Leah had shaken herself out of her inertia and met Sarah's eyes unwaveringly.  "I didn't Know Sarah. If I'd known of course I would have told you and I would have told Caine and he wouldn't have been in our territory. I'm sorry, so sorry."

Her voice faltered and Max watched in sympathy as she struggled to hold back her tears. Max heard the murmurings of acceptance from Sarah's females. 

"We accept what you say Leah and we understand you didn't know.  That is the way of it." Sarah shrugged fatalistically.   "We don't blame you the responsibility lies with Dale," she told a now openly crying Leah.

Well that's good at least the two Units will go away from here with no animosity between them Max thought leaning forward to talk to Leah.  She felt Kat's hand on her leg in restraint. Not knowing what was going on she sat back and waited. Leah continued to cry and Max could feel the tension mounting as they all waited in silence.

"You have not acknowledged Sarah's words in the normal way Leah.  Why is that?" Kat asked finally.

The woman who had been sitting next to Leah spoke, "The Unit has decided that I will speak for us on this."

"That's Kara, Leah's second," Kat explained.

"Speak then," Max, agreed.

"Leah wants to acknowledge in the proper way.  We would all like to but we can't. It would be a lie.  Leah didn't mate with Caine.  She changed her mind."  

Changed her mind Max thought incredulously.  Could this get any more screwed up? 

Sarah's eyes went from Leah to Kara. "She'd accepted him.  She was coming to our Unit.  It had been agreed," she said indignantly.

"Leah wanted Dale.  She's always wanted Dale but he wouldn't come forward.  We knew he was fighting for someone because he was being injured.  Leah had convinced herself that he'd chosen Ser… somebody else and so she decided to accept Caine as her mate.  However she changed her mind… before she mated with him.  As is her right."  Kara finished her gaze locking with Sarah's

Grudgingly Sarah nodded in agreement. "As is her right."

"When Dale encountered Caine on the stairs Leah had just told him she'd changed her mind and he was understandable angry. That was why she didn't escort him out of our territory herself. She didn't call me because our males were on recon and we weren't expecting them back for a few days.  So she saw no need.  We carry the responsibly for Dale encountering Caine unescorted and we offer our heartfelt apologises to Sarah and the rest of her Unit for our negligence."

Max noted the angry mutterings from Sarah's females.

"Even if Leah had changed her mind about mating with Caine it still wasn't a mate fight.  It was a straight out breach of discipline in a war situation. Our Unit shouldn't have to ask for him.  He should be executed it's a straight out military issue." The murmurs of agreement from Sarah's Unit had started before she'd even finished speaking.

"No it's still an illegal kill…" Leah interrupted, before Kara's elbow hit her hard in her ribs silencing her. 

Yes its definitely better she doesn't speak Max thought as she noted the angry glares now directed at Leah. They don't want to hear here defending Dale.

"Our Unit challenges that." Kara continued.  "It's not military business.  Dale was definitely in his instincts. We were there.  We all saw him. There are 30 witnesses to that fact. That makes it an illegal killing, and therefore transgenic business and it must be adjudicated by the alpha's, as is the way."

"Yeah, all witnesses from his own Unit."  

Max didn't have time to look for who had spoken. Her attention was riveted on Leah and Sarah both on their feet now and facing off.  She felt Kat's unnecessary restraining hand on her leg.

"Are you challenging the honour of my Unit Sarah? Are you calling us liars?" Leah asked in angry challenge.

Sarah stared at her for a long moment. "No.  I'm not calling you liars.  If your Unit says Dale was in his instincts then we do not question you."

"Do we?" she asked her own Unit her voice hard, her eyes still locked with Leah's.

Max assumed their silence was agreement.  

"Then control your females." Dismissively Leah flicked her eyes off Sarah and sat back down.

Kara waited until the female Sarah had jerked her head at had left the room. "We know we were in the wrong for our failure to escort your male whilst he was in our territory," she continued.

"Had Caine had an escort would it have made any difference to what happened?" Max interrupted Kara.  Stoically she ignored the puzzled expressions of the other women. No point in worrying about what they thought of her lack of knowledge. If she didn't question she'd never figure things out.  
  


"No.  Breach of territory on its own doesn't send a male into his instincts.  It was Leah's scent on Caine that did that.  They would have fought wether we'd been there to escort Caine or not. However we still failed to do our job and for that we have offered our apologies."

"So do we have agreement here that this male was in his instincts and this is transgenic business and not a breach of military discipline," Max asked the assembled women. 

It looks like Alec might get his ideal outcome Max thought as she watched Leah's tears of relief as the women in Sarah's group individually voted their agreement. At least she obviously still cares what happens to Dale.

"Do we also have agreement that this was a mate fight?" Max asked.

"We have no such agreement. We've accepted Dale was in his instincts when he killed Caine but Kara's Unit has yet to offer any evidence as to why that was."

She heard Kat sigh beside her.

Kara sighed. "The only evidence we can offer that Caine was fighting because he thought Leah was his to defend is that over the last eighteen months he's been seriously inexplicably injured three times.  We all knew he was mate fighting for someone." 

"Were their corresponding deaths in other Units?" one of the women in Sarah's group asked.

"Not to our knowledge."

"He's a good fighter," someone grudgingly commented. "If he'd fought as many as three mate fights you would think there would have been corresponding deaths."

"It means nothing. The better the fighter the less likely he is to kill unless he wants too. Dale would never kill his own kind unless he had no choice." Kara responded.  "All the females in our Unit thought he was fighting for Leah.  She's the only who doubted it" she added.

"Sometimes they hide it so well even we get it wrong. Kara." Sarah sighed.  "That cannot stand as proof."

"Agreed.  Sometimes they do. Dale however wasn't particularly good at hiding it.  The only one who doubted it was Leah. Also his behaviour changed to Leah immediately following the fight. When he came out of his instincts she was crying and upset. He totally ignored her.  Turned his back and pretended she didn't exist."

"Are you saying he'd started the distancing?" Mila asked.

"We all thought so."

"What is the distancing? Max asked.  Again she ignored the looks. 

"When a male has been rejected and a female has chosen someone else he has to try as best he can to sever his connection to her and disconnect his instincts. Out here it is easier.  He can remove himself from her life.  In Manticore that was often not possible so if a rejected male encountered a female who had rejected him he would act as if she didn't exist.  Ignore her."

"Did that actually work Max?" asked incredulously.

"Nah, but it made them feel better."  

Max laughed with the rest of them. 

"What did work was physical distance and finding them another mate really quickly. Which is what the alpha females in the units do," Kat added.

"That is all the evidence we have," Kara continued. "We also offer the word of every female in our unit, except Leah, that we've always believed that Dale was fighting for Leah," Kara finished.

"We've heard the evidence from Kara and we understand and accept it" Sarah responded.   "Its all stuff we would use to gauge if a male from our own Unit was mate fighting.  But it's not enough. Caine is dead.  If we decide Dale was in his instincts because it was a mate fight then we cannot discipline him and he goes free. "We have to be sure. Would this be enough evidence for your Unit to decide Kara?"

Kara's silence obviously meant it would not be Max decided. It would certainly not have been enough evidence if it had been anyone from their Unit who had been killed either she thought.

"And there are many other things that also don't add up," Sarah continued.  "If this was an ordinary mate fight why were the males in both our Units fighting with each other after it?  That has never happened before.  Males protect each other over these stupid things regardless of their Units.  So why were they fighting?

"Why does Grey want compensation if this was an ordinary fight?  Compensation has never been asked for or paid as a result of mate fighting.  Also why were the males from all the Units gathered prior to the Alpha fight?  Unit leaders never allow them to congregate like that without us.  That was insanity," she continued.

"Males from your Unit also hit the alpha Unit." Sarah raised her arm in the gesture of calm as Leah catapulted out of her seat again.  

"We know the distinction between Cloud's old Unit and Thor's. We know it was not your males involved in that Leah. We are not saying that," Sarah assured, as Leah subsided back into her seat.  

"What we're saying is none of this adds up to a simple mate fight and we're not agreeing it is until the male alpha has given us the full facts and reasonable explanations for everything," she ended, to the murmured agreement of not just her own unit but Leah's as well Max noted.

"Alec has already given me the full facts and reasonable explanations for all of those things. However I want the agreement of everybody here that what is said here stays in this room until after the mission tonight. Then we will all have a women's meeting to discuss this further. Until we do this information stays here.  It's not to be discussed with anyone outside of this room. Are you clear on that?"  

Catching the eye of each woman in turn Max went around the room until all had nodded in agreement.

"Dale has fought four mate fights not three for Leah.  The males all know this and know without a doubt that it was a mate fight. They were all gathered prior to the alpha fight to ensure that because women knew about this fight it would be treated no differently than all the others." Max proceeded to run through a summarised version of what Alec had told her.  "That is why your males voted in a block to ask for compensation for Caine's illegal killing. They know it wasn't Dale's fault and they will not kill him for it," she concluded.

Complete silence enveloped the room when she'd finished talking. 

"Yeah I know how you're feeling," Max said into the silence. "It's a lot to take in and we all need to sit down together to decide what it means to us.  We will do that after the mission tonight. For now this stays here with us. Agreed."  She waited until the murmurs of agreement had died down.  "Sarah your unit has heard the facts as I had them from Alec.  Is it enough for you to accept that Dale was in his instincts because he was defending the mate he knew he had a prior claim too?" 

Max waited as Sarah caught the eye of each of her women in turn.  Good, unanimous she thought as the last women nodded in agreement.

"Yes.  We agree that the killing was not Dale's responsibility and we withdraw our request for him to be turned over to our Unit.  That is the way of it," Sarah ended formally." 

"Thank you all for coming and for your patience while we've sorted this out.  Those of you who are on tonight's exercise I will see later tonight.  In the meantime Sarah's Unit is free to go but Leah's needs to remain."  Max waited until Sarah's women had left the room. 

"Thor is dead and you're now a Unit without a CO.  Obviously that isn't workable." As she said it Max thought how true it was.  If there was one thing she'd discovered since hooking back up with her own kind, it was that Transgenics needed the security and structure of the pack.  They just didn't function well on their own. They needed strong leadership.

"Dale has been suggested as your new CO. I understand the males in your Unit still want this, but obviously it can't happen without your agreement. Before we meet with Alec and the males in your Unit we all need to be clear on what you want. Is it-"

"Thankyou for your help Max," Leah interrupted haltingly.  

She hadn't said a word and had been quiet and withdrawn since Max had finished recounting what Alec had told her. 

"I knew they wouldn't accept what Kara had as proof it was a mate fight.  I thought they would insist on killing him. Thank you for that," she repeated her voice faltering with emotion.

"That's okay Leah," Max answered, thinking that keeping the unit together was looking like a real possibility.  "So have you and the rest of the women talked about what you want to do now?"

"Yes.  We want Dale as our CO," Leah answered without hesitation. "But I, but I …," she faltered. 

The women around Leah shifted and Max could feel their tension.

"But? Max coaxed curiously after a long moment of tense silence. 

"But I would like to request a transfer to another Unit," Leah rushed on.

For God's sake Max thought in frustration simultaneously hearing Kat's sigh of exasperation along with the audible discontent of the other women in the room. 

"Let me get this straight, Leah? Kat asked.  "You're about to get the CO you and the other females in your unit have wanted all along. You've just discovered that same male, who you've wanted to mate with, has been fighting for you? Why after all that has happened would you want to be transferred to another pack?"

"I would like to be transferred," Leah insisted stubbornly.

"Explain?" Max snapped at the end of her patience.

"I have shamed my Unit by not making sure Caine was escorted while he was on our territory.  Because of my indecision and doubt Caine was killed and Dale could have been as a result of what he did. My Unit deserves a better alpha than me," she mumbled."

"Yes.  Your Unit has breached protocol in allowing an unescorted male on their territory and it will pay compensation for that." Kat answered.  "However it was Thor's incompetence that was responsible for the illegal killing not yours. It would have made no difference if you had been with Grey's male.  Dale didn't kill him for the territory violation. Your doubt about whether he had interest in you was understandable. Dale wouldn't come forward so how were you to know. You've done nothing wrong here Leah."

"It doesn't feel like that," Leah replied desolately.

Kara stood up again "Leah is our alpha.  We want no one else.  We won't accept Dale as our CO if it means loosing Leah from our pack. We've all voted on that."

"He won't want to work with me after this. It would be to hard for me too. Its better for everyone I transfer," Leah insisted stubbornly."

"All right then Leah," Kat replied crisply,  "We'll arrange a transfer for you and I'll take over as temporary alpha of your Unit. I will off course need to find Dale another mate as soon as possible.   Does the Unit have any internal suggestion?" she asked casting her eyes quizzically over them.

"No," she confirmed when no response was forthcoming. "Well not to worry. I was thinking that Serita, from Drago's Unit, might be a good choice," Kat offered, trying to keep a straight face as she recalled the fight she'd disciplined both Leah and Serita for a few months previously.  At the time neither had been forthcoming about its cause, Kat now had a pretty good idea what it had been about.

"No.  Not her," Leah snorted in disgust.  "She doesn't care about him.  I told her he was fighting for her and she'd better mate with him pronto but she didn't care," she burst out indignantly, much to the amusement of the women around her. 

"Leah.  If Dale still wants to mate with you?  Will you accept him as your mate and will you stay with your Unit,' Max asked.

"He won't want me, now," Leah mumbled.

"But if he does?" Max persisted patiently. 

"Yes, but if he doesn't want me then I will transfer," she insisted determinedly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It looks like Alec's going to get his ideal outcome Max thought with satisfaction as she, Kat, Leah and the rest of Leah's females made their way across the compound towards Alec and the group of males she recognised as Thor's old Unit. 

Maybe not? she thought her eyes on Alec's tense face as he detached himself from the group and made his way stiffly towards her.  She could see the lines of strain around his mouth and her eyes fell to the arm resting stiffly against his side**.  **His collarbone is giving him trouble.  He should really still be home in bed.  "I'm going home to get those pain killers the medic gave me for you," she offered her eyes anxious as they met his.

"Tav's just got me some. I'm fine Max," he assured her his distracted eyes on Thor's Unit.

Max watched the large dark haired male standing beside Tav flick his eyes to Leah before he turned and stood with his back to her. That must be Dale she guessed. She could tell by the discontent tense faces of the other males that they weren't happy with whatever had been decided. "What's up Alec?" she asked quietly as he drew her aside.

"It looks like you won't have to worry about Leah not wanting to work with Dale.  "He's refusing to take command of the Unit and is insisting on a transfer.  So she won't have to," he said with resignation.  "He doesn't think she'll want to work with him now he's killed her mate and he thinks it's best for all that he transfers.  He'll be no problem to place; in fact, I think I'll take him into our Unit.  However it means that after the exercise tonight Thor's unit will have no CO. I still have no one suitable to command them," he ended in frustration.

Her attention distracted Max watched Leah approach a stiff backed Dale and stop a couple of feet behind him.  Forlornly she stood there hugging herself as she started to talk.  Max couldn't hear what was being said but it was off to a good start she thought as she watched Tav hastily depart and Dale turn around. 

"Dale's unit is a specialist Unit integral to tonight's mission he'll command them for that but after-"

"Leah didn't take Grey's male as her mate Alec she changed her mind at the last minute," Max interrupted, watching Dale tentatively put his arms around a distressed Leah. 

"What do you mean changed her mind? A guy was killed and your telling me she changed her mind?" Alec echoed incredulously, his eyes following Max's to where Dale was comforting an emotional Leah. 

"She didn't know he was fighting for her Alec.  Had she known she would gladly have taken him for her mate, she loves him."

Suddenly overcome with the sadness of it all Max moved into Alec and put her arms around his waist. How are we supposed to know if you don't tell us she thought rubbing her check on his chest as she felt his good arm close comfortingly around her, the injured one more slowly? 

"You okay, Max?" he asked his concern evident. 

She hugged him back relishing his concern for her.  Closing her eyes in appreciation she once again gave heartfelt thanks for the life she'd found with him.

"Yeah," she said softly, as he started to stroke her hair. "Leah will mate with Dale and stay with the Unit if he still wants her."

"He'll want her Max, he's climbed into a ring and risked his life four times because he wanted her.  He'll still want her," he reiterated with conviction.

Yeah, she thought thinking about Alec and how he'd also risked his life fighting Zack for the right to approach her and then been to afraid to tell her how he felt.  Afraid to tell me he loved me she thought sadly feeling a painful lump of emotion and suddenly knowing with absolute clarity the truth of it.  All the things he'd done for her.  All the times he'd been there for her, ran through her mind along with her own disdainful, intolerant, uncaring treatment of him.  Who could blame him for being afraid? Her heart contracted painfully as she remembered the panicked vulnerability on his face when he'd admitted he had wanted to mate with her prior to her heat? 

Her heart aching, tired of worrying about whether it was the right time, or if he wanted to hear it and just needing to tell him, she slid her hand across the back of his neck and pulled his head down until her lips were touching his ear.  "I love you Alec," she whispered, feeling an instant flash of relief and happiness that she'd finally said it, finally told him.  

It's how she felt and she needed him to know.  It didn't really matter what he did with it she realized as she stepped backwards turned quickly and headed towards Leah and Dale.  Did she just say she loved him Alec asked himself in bewilderment?  His stunned eyes flicking to her face as she pulled away from him.  She avoided his eyes and he was left staring after her retreating back as she headed across the compound? 

TBC

Please review it reminds me to update.


	25. Chapter 25 Rated R for Sexual Content

Chapter Twenty-five

She had just said she loved him he hadn't misheard her. He knew she cared about him and he knew she loved sex with him, but there were a thousand other transgen males she could have enjoyable sex with and probably grow to care about. She'd definitely said it he hadn't misheard her and surely she knew that telling him she loved him meant much more than just enjoying him fucking her?   Did he dare to believe that she did and this wasn't just more of the emotional and hormonal turmoil she'd been in since her heat?  

Less than three months ago she had been in love with Logan.  He thought back to her willingness to do anything Logan asked without question, the way she had hung on his every word, her endless irrational defence of Logan whenever he'd criticized or tried to stop Logan sending her off alone on some of his rasher missions. 

Then, he'd been the selfish immature, irritating transgenic she resentfully tolerated because he was her only link to her own kind. She hadn't given a stuff a about him then and he had always accepted that, accepted that she loved Logan and therefore he himself hadn't even featured on her list of priorities.  

He couldn't behave like Logan, even if he had wanted too. What did Max know about loving someone like him? Someone as possessive and demanding and as instinct driven as he was? She appeared to have accepted that Dale had killed to protect what was his, but how understanding would she have been had that been him?   How accepting would she have been if Biggs and the rest of his Unit hadn't forcibly prevented him from killing Logan when he had touched her at Jam Pony. Not very, he concluded.

If she hadn't tried to tell him last night that she'd always cared for him, and more than she'd ever had cared for Logan, then he might have accepted her words at face value. Believed that she'd fallen in love with him.  Momentarily he closed his eyes in pleasure relishing the joy of it.  However that wasn't what had happened, instead she'd rewritten their entire history and she was now trying to tell him she would have mated with him, when shed been in love with Logan, rather than let Zack and him fight for her. 

Just last night she'd been intending to leave him without explaining why, and yet within the space of a few minutes she'd changed her mind again, also without explanation.  Now she was telling him she loved him. He didn't believe it.  He'd like to, but it just wouldn't be sensible. Morosely he stared sightlessly at the maps spread across his desk. It was obviously just more of the emotional turmoil the changes in her life and her hormones had wrought in her over the last three months. 

He really liked the way things were between them, he loved the fact that he could make her smile and that she was happy with him.  Yet he'd be a liar if he denied he didn't want more, because he did.  He wanted her to love him.  If she loved him he knew that he would feel a lot more secure about everything.  It would mean she wouldn't leave him without explanation, or leave him for someone else, or to go back to Logan.  It also meant that she'd want to keep him around to protect his child. 

He loved her and the life they were making together and he wanted her to feel the same way. If she loved him it would make her more tolerant of him when he screwed up, or when he did something she didn't approve of, and he particularly needed and wanted that reassurance. Sensing her outside his eyes went to the door.

"Hey," she said quietly, closing his office door.  

Her chest was tight with nervousness as she walked around his desk and stopped hesitantly in front of him. He swung his chair around and his eyes were uncertain as they met hers. Silently he held her gaze and she struggled unsuccessfully for something to say.  

She loved him, and she had told him, and he didn't believe her.  That he didn't wasn't a surprise, she had known when she'd told him that he wouldn't accept it at face value. She held his gaze as she straddled him and settled herself on his lap.  She could feel his tension as he waited, his eyes roaming her face. Her hand unconsciously fiddling with his belt buckle as she silently returned his stare. When he looked at her like this, his expression giving no inkling to what he was thinking, it made her nervous.  Her eyes momentarily fell from his before she willed them back.

He could feel her tension as she starred back at him uncertainly.  His eyes fell to her mouth as she gnawed her bottom lip, something she often did when she was worried or nervous and he felt a wave of overpowering tenderness for her. Her eyes momentarily wavered before returning to his.

"I, I wanted you to know how I felt Alec.  I know you don't believe me bu-."

"Yes I do Max," he lied, suddenly desperate for her not to say it again.  

He didn't want to hear it until she knew what she was saying, until he knew she meant it, until he could say it back to her.

"Yyou do," she stammered back. 

It was the first time he had ever lied to her about anything important.  Quickly he pushed aside his feeling of panic as he watched a slow smile of spread across her face. Who would have thought that he'd ever be responsible for bringing such innocent delight to Max's face?  It was times like this that he loved her the most.  Smiling down at her thinking that at least he had made her happy again, he closed out his guilt and pushed down his inexplicable feeling of sadness.

He believes me, he really believes me. Momentarily overcome with the joy of it she nearly missed the flash of guilt that fleetingly shadowed his eyes.  She struggled to keep the smile fixed on her face as she felt the knot of regret and pain in her stomach.  She knew he didn't believe her. She put her arms around his neck and felt him tense as she rested her chin on his shoulder so he couldn't see her face.  Determinedly she squeezed back her tears.

He'd only lied to her because he didn't want to hurt her, and she was going to pretend she believed him because she didn't want to hurt him.  Her vision blurring she swallowed a lump of painful emotion as she felt him nuzzle her ear. Closing her eyes she turned her face toward him. Gently her covered her mouth with a kiss that melted her with its tenderness.  She ruthlessly suppressed the ache of need she had to make him understand that she did love him.

This is enough she told herself.  Lifting her head so they were eye to eye she smiled sweetly and careful of his ribs, pressed her body along the length of his, her breast against his chest and her hot heat against the hard length of his erection. It was hard keeping her eyes open as his warm hand pulled her more securely against him and he rubbed his fingers sensuously along the delicate ridges of her spine.  

Their mouths were so close that when he breathed out she was breathing his air.  It was so intimate. Darting her tongue out she brushed it across his full lower lip.  He made that deep sexy sound low in his throat as he parted his lips over hers and slid his tongue into her mouth.  She opened willingly and his tongue lightly caressed hers.  

The sound she made as she opened her mouth fired his blood and he deepened the kiss until it was a hot wet all consuming mating of mouths and tongues. Through the haze of passion she gave thanks that no matter what else was happening she could always connect with him like this. 

Slowly, tenderly she released his lip to stare at him smiling in satisfaction as he returned her gaze his eyes full of passion, promise and heat. Her eyes fell to his mouth and she couldn't stop her husky moan of frustration as unable to stop herself she rubbed the pad of a finger over his lip.

"I want to, Alec, but we can't.  It will only hurt you," she whispered, her disappointment in her voice. 

Cupping her face he stoked her cheek with his thumb.  Her skin felt like warm silk.  He still had the sweet taste of her on his tongue and her eyes were hot and hungry on his. When she wanted him like he wanted her, he knew she was his. He felt a familiar primal surge of possession as his eyes held hers. 

"You're mine Max," he placed his splayed hand on her abdomen.  "Both of you." Her hand immediately covered his and she stared raptly back at him her heart beating wildly against her ribs. When he claimed her like this, she always felt he was telling her he loved her. 

"Yes," she agreed, her voice low and husky and her heart full. She loved him deeply and irrevocably she had no doubt about that and one day she'd be able to show him.

"Do you want me, Max? Never mind about my ribs. Right now, do you want me?"  

His hand still cupped her face and his thumb traced her jaw with an aching tenderness.

Her eyes roamed his face and every last one of her senses clamoured for him.  

"Yes," she whispered, turning her lips into the palm of his hand. 

_Mine_.  His smile was slow, knowing and satisfied as his eyes once again roamed her face.  

He dipped his head to her, "I –want – you- to - Maxie," he whispered between kisses,  "we just have to go carefully that's all."  His voice was husky and low and his breathe tickled as he kissed the tender spot behind her ear. 

"Yes," she agreed breathily, he hadn't even done anything yet and already she was struggling to form a coherent thought. The sound of her own heart beating was loud in her ears and her breasts were already heavy her nipples swollen and aching. Her legs were spread wide as she sat astride him, and when one of his hands fell to her ass and he pulled her more tightly against the hard throb of his arousal she felt her bodies immediate surge of wet appreciation. 

Sliding his hands up underneath her tee shirt he deftly undid her bra and when she cooperatively raised her arms he pulled her tee shirt and bra over her head and dropped them beside his chair.  Her eyes were cloudy with desire and his were hot and heavy as he held her gaze his hands now busy undoing her pants.  

His hands on her waist he pushed her backwards as he stood.  He smiled as her lush mouth formed a quick sulky pout of disappointment and she frowned her surprised displeasure. Stepping into her he smoothed his hand along the full curve of her waist and dipping his head he nibbled her ear. 

"The door Max, I'm just gonna lock the door," he whispered, pulling her earlobe gently with his teeth. 

Her hand went to his head and she titled her head back wantonly.

"I'll be right back," he murmured his voice rough against the long smooth column of her throat. Gently he disengaged her hand from his neck and smiling contentedly at her pout of annoyance he let her go. He locked the door and his eyes once again on hers he made his way back to her. Kneeling in front of her he bent to remove her boots only to find one of her hands on his shoulder and the other on the side of his face. His head came up and his questioning eyes flew to hers.

"I've missed making love with you Alec, even though it's only been two days."  

She had that look, a mixture of affection, hot heat, and trust.  He loved it when she looked at him like that. Arrested, he gazed back registering what she had said. She'd just said she missed making love with him, not missed sex with him.  Slowly, doubtfully he searched her face. Did that mean she felt like he did when they had sex?

His lips curved slowly. "Is that what we do, Max, make love?" he asked, his voice low and gritty. Dipping his head he slid her boots off.

His question penetrated the dreamy haze of her desire and she looked down at him as he as he peeled her pants down her legs.

"Yeah," she answered softly without hesitation, as she stepped out of her pants. His eyes touched hers for a moment as he slid her panties down her legs.

"That's what we've always done, Alec right from the start."  

He stood up and she moved into him and pushed his shirt up his body.  He grabbed it by the back of the neck and careful of his ribs pulled it over his head.  He sat down again and immediately straddling him she turned her attention to unfastening his belt. Sensing his mood change her hands stilled on his jeans and her eyes found his, an impish smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she held his now thoughtful gaze. 

_Was it true, all this time had she been making love to him, just as he had been to her_? Pensive green eyes gazed into laughing brown.

Sex was a strong connection for them and for Alec it was the link that he thought bound them. If she'd known right from the start he cared about her because of the way he made love to her, then it would stand to reason he might make the same connections. It had been as easy as that to start him thinking. _Why the hell didn't I think of it before?_  

She glanced down at his mouth and unable to help herself she touched her lips to his, his hand came up and cupped her face and he tilted her head back.  His kiss was hot, hungry and sensual and he kissed her until she had to drag her mouth off his to get air back into her lungs.

Alec could feel her warm breathe on his neck as she covered his throat with hot wet kisses. His eyes drifted closed as she thoroughly and unhurriedly explored his senses.  With Max it was as if she enjoyed giving him pleasure, enjoyed touching him as much as he enjoyed her. Yeah, she was right, he supposed it was making love what they did, it had never been just about sex for either of them.  He'd done her an injustice thinking it had been, he acknowledged remorsefully. With her it was always so very different from the hot, hard, uninvolved sex he'd been used to. He didn't really know why but he'd developed a knot in his belly.  

Kissing him one last, lingering time she pulled back her eyes soft, her smile sultry and full of promise. 

He felt the knot tighten.  Uncertainly he returned her gaze "So you love me then, Max?"  She heard the hesitant doubt and the mixture of longing and wariness in his voice as he held her gaze.

"Yeah, I do." She smiled into the frowning intensity of his eyes her hand tender as she stroked the side of his face.  

"I do," she whispered again. 

Fleetingly she brushed warm and feather soft lips across his. He pushed her untidy hair away from her face and cupping her jaw he tilted her mouth up to his. Her eyes fluttered closed as he slanted his mouth over hers.  His kiss was hot and hard yet soft and tender and she wondered how it could be both. Slanting her lips out from under his she gently pulled his lower lip between her teeth, and kissed the corner of his mouth before sliding her tongue back across his lips. 

When she touched him it was so different from the way anyone else had ever touched him.  Hearing the small, satisfied, content sound she made in the back of her throat he knew she was as helplessly enthralled as he was, and for the first time his heart started to believe that she did indeed love him. His gaze fell to her small, neat, voluptuous body. She was so beautiful.  He traced her nipple with his finger and his eyes flew back to hers as she made a small sound of need, _and so responsive._  Again he teased her puckered nipple and watched her eyes flutter lazily.  Hot with desire for her he bent his head and replaced his touch with his mouth.  

Wantonly Max arched into him as he opened his mouth over her swollen nipple. She could hear her own small sounds of pleasure as he teased, licked and suckled her. Cradling his head to her breast she thought she could probably cum from just having him do this.

He was unable to keep the grin from his face when she moaned in disappointment as he released her nipple. Her hazy desire filled eyes caught his grin.  Scooting backwards on his thighs she smiled wickedly back and resumed undoing his pants. He lifted his hips and she pulled them down and let them pool at his feet.  

She sat back down on him and he watched her absorbed face, intense with concentration as she alternatively stroked both her hands along his hard length. She loved doing this, loved the warm, hard, silky steel of him in her hands, and she loved the low sexy sounds of appreciation he made. 

Smiling in satisfaction she looked into his face.  His eyes were hot on hers and his face tight and intent as she slowly closed her hand around him and stroked along his pulsing length.  His head fall back onto his shoulders as he groaned low in the back of his throat.  No grin now, she thought smugly as she bent over him and kissed the tip, eliciting another tortured groan of pleasure.

Alec inhaled sharply as she eased his length between her full lush lips engulfing him deeper and deeper as she swirled her tongue around him. His blood roared through his veins and he couldn't think his conscious narrowed to Max and the wet heat of her mouth. 

"I want to be inside you," he breathed huskily.

 Max wanting the same sat up quickly. His hand slid down her back sliding down to cup her ass as he pressed her against his hot hard body.  She put her arms over his shoulders and slid her breasts against his chest. She could feel the hot hard pulsing tip of him between her legs.  Her blood was zinging through her veins and her nipples were hard and tight with need. She heard her own long slow moan of delight as she guided him into her and she felt him slide home. Hands around her waist pulled her fully down onto him and she again heard her own contented sigh of pleasure.

As she thrust against him and he grunted deep in his throat, his sound melded with hers as she started to move on him. Careful of his ribs she thrust herself down. His face tight with need he held her eyes as he jerked her waist down and she continued to move matching her downward thrusts with the movement of his hands on her waist. He slid his hand between their bodies and found her clit and she heard herself gasp as he stroked her once, twice and then vaguely through the haze of her own gripping pleasure as she started to shudder into her climax she heard his deep grunt of satisfaction as he found his own release_._

He slid his hand between their bodies and found her clit and she gasped as he stroked her once, twice and then his name on was on her lips and her body became an endless wave of sensation, vaguely through the haze of her own gripping pleasure she heard his deep grunt of satisfaction as he found his own release.

She clung to him reluctant to let him go her body still trembling as he stroked her hair. "I want our bed, with you in it," he growled against her ear, his arms warm and strong around her.

"Yeah," she murmured, resting contentedly against him, and as his mouth closed over hers she wished whole-heartedly that was indeed where they were. 

He was kissing her again when the banging on the door finally penetrated their haze of desire.  

"What the fuck?" Impatiently he released her mouth.  He glanced towards the door and then quickly back to Max.  

Disorientated and pouting grumpily at his abandonment she petulantly pulled his head back down to hers.

"Wait a minute Max," he laughed against her lips, "Let me see what they want first." 

"What?" he barked, bending his head to quickly brush his lips across hers.

"We've got enemy soldiers in our zone." Steve called rattling the door handle again.

Alec's head shot up, "Fuck, what?  Are we under attack?"  

He caught the flash of shock in Max's eyes before she scrambled off his lap in search of her clothes.

"No it's only a couple of units, sixty soldiers maybe, looks like a recon."

"Okay, give me a minute," Alec shot back as he fastened his pants, his eyes on Max as she struggled into hers.

"What do you think they want?" worriedly her eyes found his. 

 "Just what Steve said probably just a recon.  The mate fight was very noisy.  We've been expecting that someone would come to investigate it.  Anyway we knew we wouldn't be able to remain hidden here for very much longer," he shrugged.  

"It's amazing we've managed it so far," he added marvelling at the truth of it. Their contingent was over five thousand strong now, not by any means an easy number to conceal even within the toxic confines of TC.  It was tribute to their training that they'd managed to do it so far.

"Will the units in the mission tonight still go out Alec?"

"Yeah, we go," he told her decisively.  No reason to hold back because of a recon team."

"Yeah, but we don't know if they are a recon team yet."

"It doesn't matter what they are, we go tonight irregardless."  

Suddenly becoming aware of his inclusion of himself her shocked eyes swung to his.  "What do you mean, we? You aren't fit for active Alec, you can still barely move comfortably.  Steve is commanding the mission tonight its already been decided," she reminded him in panic.  Her sense of dread growing she watched his face close. His eyes were now cold and his expression blank as he returned her stare.

"You aren't fit Alec," she insisted stubbornly as she preceded him out the door.

"I didn't say I was, but I decide, not you, Max.  You don't interfere in military decisions," he added terse and impatient, as they made their way across to Command.

"I'm not interfering in anything military," she snapped back.  "I'm just objecting to a stupid suggestion from my still injured mate that he might be fit for active when he obviously isn't," she finished angrily. 

He ignored her.  She felt her irritation growing as she watched him make his way stiffly across to the monitors Steve, Biggs and Dix were clustered around.  _How the hell could he even think of going anywhere like that?_ Frustrated, her eyes lit on Kat, Leah and the rest of the alpha females on her management team as they huddled around a map-spread table.  

"What's up Max?" Kat asked curiously.

"Alec thinks he's going on the mission tonight, he can hardly move but he thinks he's fit for the field." Stupid macho jerk she finished silently in her head.

"He won't go if he's not fit he'd never endanger the others, Max.  If it was Steve I'd just humour him," Kat added shrugging. 

" Yeah," Max agreed, feeling her sense of dread disappearing as she saw the sense of it.  Alec wouldn't go if he were going to be a liability she reasoned.  She'd just over reacted again. It was just that nagging fear she had that she didn't deserve the happiness she'd found with him, and like all the good things in her life something would happen and she would loose him.  This was separate from the day-to-day fear of White and the others who hunted them but the combination of the two meant fear for his safety was never far from her conscious.

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"What's happening Todd?" Max asked taking in the bustle of activity in the warehouse as the individual units armed up for the mission.

"Almost ready to go now," Just waiting for Dale's unit to sign off on their equipment and we'll be on the road.

"Yeah, Alec said Dale's unit was a specialist unit.  What exactly do they do?"

" They're all trained for different things but their overall purpose is to disable or sabotage the enemies support services. Things like water and sewerage, communications equipment, radio and TV and stuff like that. Manticore used units like Dale's to eliminate civilian resistance."

Max watched Dale and Leah as they inventoried and packed equipment into the four vans providing the transportation.  She knew that the mission tonight was to hit the reservoirs and water treatment plants in Seattle with a view to installing override programs into their computer systems so that they not only had control of an essential resource the enemy withhold from they also had the means to bring Seattle to a stand still if they needed to. Essential if the wider plan to seize control of Seattle, seal it off from the outside world and operate it as an independent transgenic nation was to succeed.

The enormity of Alec's intent hit Max as she watched the activity around her.  Not just the extent of the plan although the scope of that was mind blowing in itself but the sheer scale of the operation. In less than three months Alec had not only managed to feed, train, equip and conceal five thousand transgenics who were being hunted to extinction, but also he had done so in the midst of a major city.  

The plan in itself was simple.  They had two teams who were each working on alternate nights over the next two weeks hitting the water treatment and sewerage, plants, telephone facilities and numerous other service installations.  They were also installing their own override programmes in all the radio and TV substations. 

Max watched apprehensively as members of the explosives team carefully loaded two large metal boxes into the back of each of the vans. This was the part of the plan that she didn't like.  Inside the boxes were remote controlled charges that were to be concealed around strategic facilities.  The water plants being judged as crucial were all receiving charges.  Alec had explained it was insurance, bargaining power in case they needed it.

"I'll rest a lot easier when the last of those babies has been permanently located," Todd said, as they watched the last box being carefully loaded. 

 Max's attention wandered to Leah talking to Dale and obviously hassled about something.

"Todd's eyes followed hers,  "She's been hassling him all day. It doesn't seem to bother him but it's nearly driven Tav and me mad. It isn't his fault he has to go without her tonight.  He's only following orders." Exasperated he rolled his eyes thinking he'd never understand what the attraction was to being mated 

"She's just worried about him Todd," Max snapped, thinking how worried she was going to be when Alec was fit enough again to be going without her.  "At least she's in the back up Unit."  _Which is more than I'll be._ Worried again she scanned the warehouse for Alec.

"No backup Units on this Max.  Mission status has been upgraded because of the enemy recon in our zone. Only combat units in the field.  That's what Leah's been moaning about.  The rest of them too," Todd added gesturing expansively, and for the first time Max noticed the disgruntled, worried faces of the women scattered around the warehouse.

For the first time Max noticed the disgruntled, worried faces of the women scattered around the warehouse. She caught Tav, out the corner of her eye as he came through the main doors.  Out the corner of her eye she caught Tav, coming through the main doors.  He paused on his way over to Steve jerking his head at a couple of X males leaning indolently against one of the transport vehicles. After a short exchange the X's hurriedly departed.  

Along with Todd, Max reached Steve at the same time as Tav.

"The mission has been upgraded to critical," Tav bit out bluntly.  Both teams move tonight and every night until it's done. I've just sent Dex and Tony to mobilise the other team, you'll all be going out together. Where's Leah?" he tacked on distractedly scanning the warehouse.  Catching Leah's eye he beckoned her over.

"Did they penetrate," Steve asked tersely.

" Yeah, we left them alone until they breached the first perimeter then we turned them back. At least we've managed to get full armour for sixty more soldiers, Alec, sent them home in their underwear," Tav laughed.  "It means we're no longer a secret and we're now on full alert," he added more soberly.

"Any trouble?" Todd asked.  

"No casualties just a few ruffled feathers," Tav grinned, recalling their furious faces and the ridiculous sight they'd made gingerly picking there way across the rubble in their bare feet and underwear.

"Sir," Leah said snapped to attention in front of Tav.  Dale following behind nodded a watchful greeting.

"Armour up, Leah, the missions timeframes have been advanced, both teams go together tonight and then every night until the operation is competed." 

As Tav started to unstrap his own gear for her Max caught Leah's quick grin of triumph_. _

Dale's flat hard, "No." Brought both Tav's and Steve's eyes snapping to him.  

"Are you disobeying a direct order?"  Tav barked back his eyes hard and cold on the other transgenic.

"You don't outrank me in military matters Tav and you don't give orders to my unit," Dale shot back his eyes cold and deadly as they locked with Tav's. 

"Permission to speak Sir," Leah asked Tav.

 "No," Dale snapped tersely his eyes never leaving Tav's.

Seeing indignant, furious colour flood Leah's face and understanding exactly how she felt Max stoically resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Tav and Dale belligerently faced each other down. So much for Alec telling her the two of them had been good friends since they were children.  

Max's attention went to Alec as he came in the main doors and headed towards them. She watched his eyes narrow as he took in the aggressive standoff between Dale and Tav.  

"The placement of these charges is critical and you two are the best explosive experts we have, we need the two of you now that both teams are going out together. You can't be in two places at once Dale." Tav bit back.

"Yeah, well, that may be so but we've all agreed no women in combat units," Dale replied less aggressively.  "We ain't in Manticore now, either."In my mind that makes an alpha council decision as important as a military one.

"In my mind it does too," Alec agreed quietly from behind Max. Tapping Tav's shoulder he gestured for his gear.  Tav's eyes held Alec's for a long moment before he reluctantly resumed stripping his equipment.

."I'm happy to go, Sir," Leah burst out, surreptitiously kicking Dale in the shins. "I know I'm the best," she finished with pride, glowering narrow eyed at a now silent Dale.

Max watched in numb acceptance as Alec started putting on Tav's gear. 

"She's always worked with me Sir, since we were children."  Dale explained, his voice suddenly young, less sure.  He's probably only just nineteen if that and already he's responsible for the welfare of thirty other transgenics Max thought sadly.  She watched Alec as he strapped Tav's gear to his legs. 

 "I wouldn't mind so much if she was going to be with me but she won't be…" Dale trailed off, his voice even more unsure as Leah glowered angrily at him.

"Yeah, I know Dale.  She stays home," Alec's voice was terse, authoritative and it brooked no argument. 

Quickly masking his relief Dale glanced sideways at a crestfallen Leah,

"Leah, we're all on active alert now and we need you here with your Unit.  Your females along with Max and the females in my unit will form the last perimeter of defence around command. Report to Biggs immediately."  Alec ordered as he manoeuvred stiffly into Tav's Kevlar.

"Yes Sir," Leah shot back enthusiastically, obviously mollified by the importance of her new orders. Fixing Dale with a quelling stare she jerked her head for him to follow as she turned to go.  Dale stared after her departing back 

"The last ring of defence around Command, means inside, surrounded by everybody else doesn't it Sir?" Dale grinned.

Max's own lips quirked as Alec raised an amused eyebrow in agreement.

"Thank you, Sir." Dale saluted, and Max watching his grateful, respectful face had a glimpse of why Alec had the allegiances he needed to remain alpha. Watching Dale as he headed after Leah she suddenly realized that she like Leah, had also been assigned the all-important job of protecting Command. Her eyes narrowed on Alec and he smiled innocently at her before his gaze moved past her to Tav.

"He was right Tav this isn't Manticore. " Alec said quietly. Distracted he smiled quickly in surprised appreciation when Max pushed his hands away and started to fasten his flak jacket.

"Why would, Dale, let his mate or any of his females go into combat without him when everybody else's females are home protected, Huh?" he continued.

"Yeah, I know Alec but you aren't really fit and she's the best.  It was worth a try," he shrugged.

"If you'd though before you'd acted you would have realized that Dale would never have allowed her to go, but you didn't think.  In your rush to protect me you disregarded what every male in TC, yourself included, had already agreed.  You put yourself into an avoidable no win confrontation with Dale and not only had your authority challenged but also risked antagonising every male on this mission." Alec's gaze raked him impatiently. "It was fucking stupid."

Tav's indifferent shrug as he shuffled from foot to foot reminded Max of Alec.  

"Tonight while we're gone try not to piss anybody off or make any decisions that don't have at least a 50% chance of a successful outcome, alright." 

"If you don't trust me you can always get Biggs to take Command," Tav shot back his face a mixture of chagrin and worry. 

He does really care, he just pretends he doesn't Max realized as she watched the exchange.  He really is a lot like Alec she thought as she watched them.

Alec's eyes pinned him. "Don't be fucking stupid. You've got command until I get back," he snapped tersely.

Tav's face was a mixture of relief and dissatisfaction as he handed Alec the last of his equipment. "You shouldn't be going like that anyway."

"Yeah, I know that but I don't have a choice.  Neither you nor Steve have the munitions experience I have if this goes sideways.  These missions aren't just strategically important.  There're even more crucial from a morale point of view. It's the first time we've fielded all male combat units, outside the pack structure, since Manticore tried it, and you remember how successful that was? He finished derisively. 

"If the guy Dale and Leah have been training goes okay tonight, well and good, but if he doesn't then I'll be there, as I'd always intended." Distracted he stilled Max's hands as she pulled tightly at front the fastenings on his flak jacket.

"I like it loose Max,"

"To bad.  It will provide some extra bracing for your ribs like this.  You're having it tight."

Rolling his eyes in frustrated acceptance Alec caught Tav's smug smirk and glowered at him.  

Still smirking Tav sauntered across to where Steve was supervising the last of the equipment into the vans.

"Was it just a recon Alec?" Max asked.

"Yeah it appeared that way.  I only took a couple of Units out, just enough to send them packing but not enough for them to gauge our numbers.  They will be back but its highly unlikely it will be tonight. Hopefully they won't be back for the week it will take us to finish hitting the service installations." As he said it Alec realized how unlikely that was.

"Why have you left Tav in Command instead of Biggs?" Max asked curiously.  

"Because he's the best choice despite what just happened here," Alec snorted. "He's a damn good commander when he doesn't let his hot head rule his actions and propel him into making rash decisions before he's thought things through_.  _

"Why not send him out with the other team and leave Steve in command here?" she queried dubiously.  Then if he fucks up he'll still be under your direction.

"If the army does come back when I'm away Max, Tav fights behind me and he's the best one to leave in command. Steve fights behind Tav."

He could tell by her puzzled frown that she didn't understand.  How did he explain this when he barely understood it himself and what would she think when he presented her with more evidence of just how instinctive driven transgenic males were.

Max noted his defensive expression as his eyes moved momentarily off hers but when they touched hers again it was no longer there. 

There was no real reason to not tell her he reasoned.  She'd accepted everything up until now, even before she had said she loved him, he had no cause to doubt she wouldn't understand this. 

Their eyes met, his dark and serious as they searched hers, Max smiled encouragingly.  _He's starting to trust me_.  Her throat was tight with emotion as she waited for him to explain.

"Transgenic males instinctively rank each other according to who is dominant. When we meet another transgenic male, wether we know him or not, we instantly know our ranking in relation to him. When we fight together our instincts tell us our place in the line-up. Tav's is behind me and Steve's is behind him, then Todd, then Biggs and then so on through our Unit.  When we fight beside other Units the line-up reorders itself based on the dominance of the Units CO. 

 "So how come Steve is your second then?" she asked.

"Because Tav was a couple of years younger than us and that is how it evolved when we were children. Tav doesn't really care about his ranking and he's in no hurry to be doing Steve's job, believe me.  But if something where to happen to me then the Units would defer to Tav.  They would be looking to him first as alpha.  If he refused it then they would be looking to Steve."

"Kat told me that when you were younger you fought amongst yourselves to establish ranking order.  Why did you do that if it's instinctive?" she asked.

What else had Kat told her he wondered warily as he steadfastly held her gaze? 

"I guess because when we were young we were still sorting out our instincts," he replied shrugging, thinking that would have to do.  He certainly couldn't see any reason to dwell on the fact that even as adults their naturally competitive aggression combined with their instincts would still compel them to defend their ranking if they were challenged.

"It's instinctive for you to Max. You just have to start feeling and sensing your instincts again."

"Yeah," she agreed sighing.  It was happening for her slowly but it was much slower than she would like. There was so much more to everything than she had ever imagined.  She cringed mentally remembering how disdaining, dismissive and contemptuous she'd been of everything and how eager to help other transgenics assimilate into the human world. 

How could she have been so naïve, so lacking in judgement? Why on earth would she ever want Alec to act like a human male? He understood and accepted like no one else ever had and as far as she was concerned she wouldn't want to change a thing about him. Not the important things anyway.  

She cherished everything about her new life with him. She loved the way he'd touch her unconsciously when he was thinking about something or talking to someone else.  His possessive, tender, protectiveness, and the way he tried to please her while he pretended he wasn't. She loved the way he made love to her and how he would kiss her for so long that the world would spinout of focus and she'd loose track of time.  She loved the way he could make love to her all night and want to start again in the morning. 

Time for him to go she realized her eye drawn first to Kat as she ardently kissed Steve goodbye and then to Leah busy doing the same to Dale, she sighed heavily, ruthlessly suppressing her overwhelming urge to again tell him she loved him.

"Be careful Alec," she said tremulously.

"Always," he whispered as he pulled her close. 

"When I come home, –" provocatively he brushed his lips across the soft willing fullness of hers, "I expect you to be waiting for me –" gently he nuzzled her nose with his, "In our bed,-" his mouth found the sensitive tender spot just below her earlobe, "Ready and willing,-" he trailed his lips across, the delicate line of her jaw, "To take up where we left off, before."

"I will be," she breathed against his lips, before they closed over hers. He kissed her with a sweet aching passion that when he pulled away left her breathless.

"Make sure you are," he breathed huskily, gently nipping her earlobe as he let her go.  She watched him stride over to Tav and Biggs as Kat came and stood quietly beside her.  Max watched solemnly as they climbed into the van.

"Tav's like Alec he isn't good at staying behind," Kat contemplated, as Tav followed the departing vans to the door and stood staring out into the night after them. Max could sense his tension from across the warehouse.

"Why is he so worried, Kat?  Is there something he knows that Alec hasn't told me?" she asked in alarm.  

"No Max," Kat reassured.  

"They always worry about each other, its normal I suppose," Kat shrugged.

Max looked at her curiously.  They were all close but she remembered Tav's tension and worry at the alpha fight had been as great as her own. She also remembered something else from the alpha fight.  Something Thor had said.  Her head spun to Tav still standing in the warehouse dock He had his hands in his jeans pockets and was scuffing the dirt with his boot as he stared morosely into the darkness.  She was again reminded of how much like Alec he was.  The same height, build the same mannerisms and even the same facial expressions.  

Max frowned her eye on Tav's brooding face. Something was niggling at the back of her mind.  "Kat, sometimes Tav really reminds me of Alec."  

"Yeah me to," Kat replied shrugging.  "They don't look alike but yet they are," she agreed.  "Not surprising I suppose, they are brothers."

"Yeah," Max agreed covering her shock. Why the hell hadn't Alec told her? He had another brother. Her baby would have an uncle.  This was important and he hadn't told her. Dejectedly her gaze went back to Tav.  She'd really thought Alec was starting to trust her and yet he hadn't even told her this_._

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Impatiently Tav's eyes swung to Max as she sat back down again. 

"Well you try being three months pregnant and see how many times you have to pee," she said indignantly in the face of his long suffering pained expression.

"Look since I'm so annoying I'm just going to go home and wait there.  If we're maintaining radio silence then there's no point in my staying here anyway."

"Yeah, there is Max.  We're on full alert, so you stay here with me and the rest of the unit until Alec gets back." Exasperated Tav ran his hand through his hair. What a handful she was. She couldn't follow orders, argued about everything, and still Alec was so besotted with her he let her lace him so tight into his body armour that he could hardly breathe. Well he was going to make sure nothing happened to her on his watch and that meant that she was stayed right here with him.

What the attraction was to being mated he'd never understand. Personally he would have been quite happy to never mate. He liked variety anyway, not that he had that option these days he thought despondently.  With their uneven male to female ratio there were now no longer any single women who weren't being fought for and variety for him or any of them was a thing of the past.

Ignoring him Max headed out of Command only to find Tav's hand on her arm.  "Look I can't leave here Max.  If something does happen then I gotta be here."

Angrily Max pulled her arm from his grasp. "What the fuck does that have to do-"

"Lets wait for him here together, Max?"  Please?" he interrupted.  

Max felt her lips quirk as he smiled engagingly his expression so sweet and hopeful, and so like Alec at his most charming, that she felt like laughing.  Suppressing her amusement she sighed grudgingly and flopped back down into the chair she'd been sitting in.

Tav glanced at her sideways surprised and at her easy capitulation.  Maybe she wasn't entirely contrary he decided his eyes on her profile.  Just tired he concluded watching her yawn, and probably as worried as he was.  They had been gone for two hours now and should by now be leaving their first targets.  Only four more each tonight and both teams were home safe.  He hoped to god everything had gone to schedule, timing was essential if they were to hit all the facilities undetected and be back inside TC before dawn.  

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where've got movement just outside the grid Tav," Dix called.

Catapulting from her seat Max hurried over to Tav, Dix and Biggs already clustered around the security monitors.  Max could see the tiny blips that donated men on the screen.  

"Only the northwest corner so far and only about thirty.  They're definitely military," Tav said, watching the ordered advance of the blips on the screen towards their outer boundary.  

"Alpha six five to Drago six one just let em in.  Don't let them see you yet, over." Tav ordered into his earpiece. 

"Why the fuck would they send thirty men back when we've just sent sixty packing?" he wondered out loud.

White, Tav guessed, and that means familiars.  A much more deadly force than anything the army could throw at them.  His adrenalin already pumping he headed for the pile of body armour they'd confiscated from the ordinary soldiers earlier in the night.  His eyes fell on Max and Kat clustered around the monitors.  Hesitantly he stopped in his tracks his glance moving past them and over the rest of the people Alec had left in his care. Frustrated his eyes swung to Biggs who already had his calm, serious gaze fixed steadily on him.  

Fuck, I hate command.  Scowling at Biggs as Tav pushed down his immediate and pressing instinct to go straight out there and deal to White. Inhaling deeply in frustration he ignored the adrenalin already pumping through his system and headed back towards the monitors.

"We need to get Alec back now," Max demanded.

"No," Tav answered automatically, his mind already running through his options. 

If he engaged with White now it would be a noisy and bloody fight impossible to hide or disguise and it would bring the wrath of both the army and the police down on them tonight with Alec, Steve and their teams outside and exposed. Not a good plan he decided regretfully, but he wasn't letting White go either.  That fucker had too much to answer for. Tav pushed the thought of Tanya and Ana from his mind.

"Yes," Max insisted.  

_What the hell had Alec been thinking when he'd left Tav in charge anyway he's little more than a boy._  Biggs has probably had more military experience than him. Impatiently she reached past Dix and hit the keys that opened the radio channel to Alec. 

Astounded at her lack of discipline Tav's hand immediately followed hers tapping the same keys to close the channel his head still running through his options.

Furious Max's eyes swung to his.

"What the fuck-" she trailed off her eyes locked with his.  She could feel the hair on the back of her own neck stand to attention as his eyes glowed into hers.  

Afraid and not knowing why, she stared back as she fought an overwhelming urge to back away from him. This must be what a cornered animal feels like Max thought all her instincts clamouring for her to run but unable to because he wouldn't release her eyes.

Blood pounded through her ears, bewildered, her inexplicable fear growing, Max heard Biggs's voice odd sounding and distant. 

"Tav," Biggs demanded sharply into the silence, "What do you want us to do."

Acknowledging Biggs Tav's eyes finally released hers. Feeling a huge sense of relief her head still high and defiant but fighting an almost irresistible urge to just turn and run she summed as much dignity as she could and backed hastily away from both him and the computer consul. 

"Nothing yet Biggs," Tav snapped, Max forgotten as his earpiece crackled into life 

"Alpha six five this is Drago six one we've got scent on them now, Tav, they aren't army, there're familiars, over. " __

"Yeah,"Tav acknowledged into his mouthpiece. _Just like I thought._

 "This is alpha six five listen up everybody.  We have familiars in our zone and white has gotta be with them.  That bastard isn't leaving here alive.  We don't want to engage with him until we've brought Alec and the rest of our own kind home.  We contain and hold them for as long as we can, over."

"Drago six one. Let them penetrate.  Keep them surrounded on the northeast and don't let them know you're there, over."

"Kane six one, move your Unit up and contain on the southwest. Make sure they don't detect you. Marcus six one move your unit into the southwest of grid two and keep their entry point under surveillance.  The rest of you in grids 1-9 keep covering Drago's and Kane's flanks using the alpha formation, over."

"That will seal them up until we figure out why they're here, Biggs," Tav finished his attention back on the screens.

Not just a boy Max thought her gaze back on the monitors watching the tiny blips that donated their own kind methodically surrounding the thirty familiars, as they stealthily swept deeper into transgenic territory. 

Max felt Kat's comforting presence beside her.

"Kat, what Tav just did to me?"  Max asked uncertainly. "My instinct was to…" she floundered not really sure what it was she wanted to say.

"Yeah, Max I know," Kat reassured her.  "Tav just showed you who he was." Max frowned her lack of understanding. 

"My instincts were telling me to run Kat, I don't understand?"

Kat shrugged,  "it's just your instincts returning Max.  You challenged Tav inappropriately, and he responded by showing you his alpha rank. I've never seen Tav do that to a female before, but then I've never seen a Commander's direct order like you did his either." Kat added dryly. 

"Tav is alpha to you Max, he's alpha to everyone but Alec.  Our instincts recognise that and it gives him power over us. Your instincts recognised this and you backed off, which was what he wanted."

Kat watched Max's eyes narrow and laughed.  "Yeah tell me about it." she said.  "None of us like it either, but it's the way of it," she shrugged.  "If its any consolation, Max, I once saw Tav back Thor down like that. Thor didn't manage to hold his gaze for as long as you did and Thor's alpha ranking was pretty high."

"Alec didn't just leave Tav as Commander because he knew he'd be able to handle this sort of thing." Max followed Kat's eyes to the flurry of activity around them. "Steve could have handled this just as well," Kat said.  "Alec left Tav in Command because he's the only one, besides himself, strong enough to line the units up without question behind him." 

"If everything turned to shit in a military sense and we were left with males fighting in their instincts then Alec and Tav are the only alphas strong enough and with enough allegiances to control them. 

"How come Dale challenged Tav about Leah then, Kat?"

"Because Tav's military rank is the same as Dale's and Tav gave Leah a military order not an alpha order.  If he'd given her an alpha order our protocols dictate he would have had to deliver it via the Dale because Leah is a member of his pack.  Dale would still have challenged it because it had been decided by an alpha council that there would be no females in combat. Dale would no more have agreed to send Leah than Alec would have agreed to send any of us."  

"Tav was trying to keep Alec out of the mission so he could heal properly and sometimes Tav doesn't think before he acts when he's protecting his own," Kat added, as they moved back to the security screens.

"He should still call, Alec.  Radio silence isn't imperative on this mission." Max insisted intending for Tav to hear.

Tav's eyes swung to hers.  He hadn't meant to show her his rank and he was uncomfortable that he had. It wasn't good to impose power over women.  There was no need.  They dealt differently than males and he regretted what he had done, but he'd been distracted, still running things through his head and her arrogant disregard had taken him by surprise. 

Looking at her with new respect he thought about how long she'd managed to hold his gaze.  No wonder Alec was so besotted he thought grinning appreciatively. He could probably count on one hand the number of males that outranked her. When she meet his grin with a solemn face her eyes wary and guarded already remorseful he met her glance.

"You're right Max, radio silence may have been more precautionary than necessary initially. However now we have hostiles in our territory its mandatory. I don't want anyone tracking Alec and the other team to their locations by using the radio signal. They're exposed out there and too far away for us to get to them in a hurry," he explained.

"Call them back then," she demanded.

"That mission is priority one. White and a few familiars are of little consequence.  We'll keep them contained until Alec is home and then we'll eliminate them.

"Of little consequence." Max repeated incredulously. "He's been killing us for over a year and you think he is of no consequence?" 

"No.   The fact that he's been killing transgenics is of considerable consequence, and if it is White out there then he'll pay for that, here tonight. I meant that White and thirty familiars pose little threat to us, and they're of low priority in that respect," Tav explained patiently. 

"Alec won't think that."

"Yeah, he will," Tav disagreed confidently. "White has only survived this long because we've only ever mounted a pissant half hearted rear guard defence.  We aren't doing that anymore and tonight White is the walking dead." His eyes detached and unemotional he turned his attention back to the screens.

The walking dead Max repeated silently her eyes morbidly following Tav's back the blips on the security screens.

TBC 

Thankyou to all of your who have reviewed me and offered your encouragement its much appreciated.  Jonty and I are collaborating on some characters so if you want to read the story if Alec's unit when they are young then you should read Everything Made Sense by Jonty, a very good story


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alec was freezing cold and sopping wet but his biggest problem was by far the noise. Even with the earmuffs his transgenic hearing amplified the roar of the water as it broke over the concrete dam until it was a deafening crescendo in his ears. He and Jason were poised above thousands of tons of water each hanging from a steel rope as they worked to attach the charges. 

So far so good he thought as he watched Jason attach the last charge to their first target. They were using CC a volatile explosive under the best of conditions and their conditions weren't the best.  Their charges had been made in an inadequate lab using what they could scrounge and adapt.  They were not top of the line in fact they were pretty basic but they were they were watertight, and radio controlled and they would do the job.  Hopefully he wouldn't need to use them, but if he did they would give him some leverage with which to bargain.

Jason gave him the thumbs up signal and Alec yanked on his line to be pulled up, he felt it jerk as he was slowly pulled to the surface.  At least they had the easier job he wouldn't have wanted to be one of the guys who had to haul them fifty feet back to the surface of the dam. Plus being pulled up was easier on his ribs than the movement of abseiling down had been.

Leah and Dale had done a good job of training Jason, he eyed the other transgen dangling beside him as they were both slowly winched up the dam face.  He seemed to have the cool calm approach necessary when dealing with live charges and Alec had already decided he should be able to handle the next few missions on his own. The team that had been installing the override computer programme that would enable the facility to be controlled from within TC would have been finished long ago so once they cleared the surface it would be onto the next target and on schedule. He hoped Steve's team was also on track. 

"We're clear to go?"

"Any problems Tony?" Alec asked, as he struggled back into his equipment.  

Body armour over sopping wet clothing wasn't the most comfortable but he was used to wearing it in the field and he felt safer with it on, and Max had been right, his did provide extra bracing for his ribs.  Other than a dull ache when he jolted them they were hardly giving him any trouble.  

"No, the place was empty and I buried the programme so deep that even I'd have trouble finding it unless I was looking."

"Alec your earpiece, now," Todd shouted making the sign for him listen.

Tony already listening intently retrieved Alec's comms unit and shoved it at him.

_"Alpha six one, Alpha six one this is Alpha two where the fuck are you Alec?"_  Steve's impatient voice crackled through Alec's earpiece.

_"This is Alpha one, over."_ Holding his side as he ran Alec followed the rest of the unit to their vehicles.

_"This is Alpha six two, were taking heavy fire.  We're split and pinned at our first target in grid 16. We need relief over. We got two choppers in the air and maybe a hundred army on the ground, they're all over us. Dale six four, pinned to our northwest has scent on non-humans, probably familiars, over._ "

_"This is Alpha six one, we appear to be clear Steve. How did you acquire them, over?"_

Alec's mind was in overdrive.  Did this mean they had been tracked from TC? Was TC under attack as well? No he dismissed that.  Tav would be listening. He'd already be on the channel if they were under attack.

_"This is Alpha six two, they probably tracked us by air we would have made them on the ground, over"_

Still holding his side Alec reached the van just behind the others and Todd hauled him in the back doors as it accelerated away after the other three.  

_"Alpha one this is Alpha six two, I repeat we are pinned, we have wounded and, we need to be extracted, over," _

"We're twenty minutes away Alec if we go through the city, thirty if we skirt it and avoid people." Todd said, his hand moving across the map as he traced their course."

"City," Alec snapped.

"Already going." Todd agreed. "Fuck can they hold out that long?"  The sound of gunfire was heavy and continuous through their earpieces.

_"This is Alpha six one ETA twenty minutes can you hold Alpha Two, over." _

As he said it Alec knew it was an irrelevant question.  They would have to hold. Transgenics never left there own behind on the battlefield their instincts didn't allow it. Manticore had shot many transgenic males because of their refusal to leave their own behind in combat.  There was no way anyone, himself included, would walk away leaving Steve and his Units exposed.

_"Alpha six one this is Alpha Two negative on that.  We are too exposed and taking heavy fire from the air nega…"  _

_"Alpha six two come in over,"_ Alec snapped urgently, his eyes meeting Todd's. _"Alpha six Two,"_ report he demanded. 

_"Alpha six one this is Grey six two be advised Alpha Two was just been hit. Have more casualties over." _

The contrast between Steve's even cool voice and the shouted excitement of Grey's second, now in command of Steve's Units sent Alec's eyes to Todd again.  At least they still had Dale in command of the other group. Alec kicked the back of his drivers seat and shouted, "Move."

_"Alpha Six One this is Cloud Six Two, have casualties also, over," _

Dale's voice was calm and steady but the fact that he had forgotten his new call sign and used his old designation as Clouds 2nd told Alec as nothing else could have how dire their situation was.

He heard the chopper, just before the van behind him exploded the blast sending their van skidding across the road.

"Fuck," Todd yelled as their driver fought for control.

_"This is Alpha six one we are taking heavy artillery fire from the air.  Just lost one of our vans, over."_

Alec couldn't see the helicopter but the chop, chop noise of the rotor blade was deafening as it hovered above them. They were sitting ducks like this. 

_"This is Alpha six one to Grey six one and Drago six two, break off. I say again, break off.  We will meet you at the extraction point, over."_  Alec watched through the back window as the other two vans veered of in different directions. 

_"No ground units so far. Grey six one and Drago six two you appear to be clear, the bird is still with us, over"_

"What the fuck," Todd said, as Jason started to pull up the vans floor. "Oh, baby come to papa," he crooned, his eyes lighting up when he saw the gleaming black anti aircraft gun.

"Where the fuck did that come from?" Alec asked.  

"Tav and Dale stole three of em last week from that Army base outside the city.  Leah packed them into the vans for us before we left. We got one and one went with Steve's Units," Jason said, as he and Todd bent to extract it.

"Lets dance baby?" Todd purred, as he brought it to his shoulder and Alec kicked out the vans window. 

"Fuck." They heard from the front of the van as it veered to the side again as the road exploded in front of them."

"Just hold it steady Clint we'll have the fucker in a minute," Alec yelled, as he and Todd angled themselves and the gun out the window, Alec's shoulder supported the front of the wide barrel as Todd sighted and aimed.  

The shot hit the rotor blades of the chopper and they watched it spin.  On its way down it clipped the top of a warehouse and flipped over before it hit the street and exploded into a ball of flame.

The resounding  "Yes," that came from inside the van was audible above the pop, pop of smaller explosions as they speed away.

_"This is Alpha six one, we're clear, the bird is down.  I repeat the bird is down.  Drago six two are you in the clear? Over."_

_"Roger that, our, ETA extraction point approximately ten minutes, over" "Grey six one, are you, clear?"_

_"Roger that, our ETA fifteen minutes, over"_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max's eyes restlessly swept the crowded room the mood was tense and expectant and she could smell adrenalin and testosterone, not as strong as the alpha fight but enough the make the atmosphere feel charged.  She had watched what was left of the pile of stolen body armour and small arms dwindle to nothing over the last two hours.

Her eye swept over Tav, sprawled in his chair his eyes moving constantly over the security monitors and his leg giggling annoyingly in unconscious restlessness.  Reaching out she put her hand on it for the second time in ten minutes. He rolled his eyes and stopped giggling before his eyes reverted back to the screen and hers continued their restless perusal of Command.

Out of the corner of her eyes she caught Tav as he lurched upright and adjusted his headset. Even if Dix hadn't turned to him in agitation she would have known by Tav's suddenly alert, intent face that something was wrong. Frowning questioningly she put an urgent hand on his arm.  He ignored her his eyes moving avidly over the monitors as he listened to his comms unit. 

Her alarmed eyes followed his to the screen. Nothing was different just the familiars now right in the heart of TC but totally surrounded by ring upon ring of transgens. _What the hell was up?_ She raised her eyebrow in silent question when his eyes swung to hers.  He stared back at her uncomprehendingly his tension palpable, his face tense with preoccupation he continued to listen.  Max shook his leg in impatient agitation bringing his focus to her. 

"Biggs," he shouted, gesturing him over as he reached across Dix and tapped the keys that opened the channel he was listening to so it was audible in the room.

Steve's urgent voice wasn't loud but it brought the whole room to a silent standstill.

_"Alpha six two, I say again Alpha one, we need backup, over,"_

_"Alpha six one ETA twenty minutes can you hold Alpha Two, over." _

Max could feel Kat tense and alert beside her and you could have heard a pin drop as Max felt her own kind move silent behind them as they all clustered around the monitors. The smell of testosterone was getting much stronger. The sound of gunfire was heavy and monotonous in the background as she listened to Alec.

_"Alpha six one this is Alpha Two negative on that.  We're too exposed and taking heavy fire from the air nega…"  _

Max heard Kat's hiss of breath just before Alec's urgent voice broke over them.

_"Alpha six Two come in, over" _

_"Alpha six Two report?" _She held Kats fearful gaze as they waited for Steve to answer.

_"Alpha six one, this is Grey six two, be advised, Alpha Two has just been hit. Two more casualties over." _

Kat's quick shocked intake of breath brought Max's thoughts immediately to Alec.  Please let him be all right she pleaded silently.

"He's not dead. I'd know if he was," Kat whispered with numb conviction.

Max held her frightened eyes and nodded in silent empathy. They both knew that for Steve to relinquish command he must be seriously injured.

As they listened to the drama unfold outside of TC Max was aware of Tav beside her his eyes moving continuously on the screens as he monitored TC's own defence force.  

_"Alpha six Five to all Units.   Listen up. Our outside mission is under attack and we are now on priority one alert those of you who've got channel on Alec and Steve ditch in now.  This is our only channel, over"_

Tav's hard authorative voice resonated through Max's head. Through the electric energy and excitement in the room she smelt the immediate response to his words the cloying smell of adrenalin and testosterone.  Picking up a comms unit from the consul Max could now hear their TC units as Tav talked to them, and Alec in her other ear as their continuing drama unfolded.

_"Tav to Marcus six one anything happening at the entry point, over,"_

_"Negative on that. No activity. Just their vehicles and ten soldiers with non human scent, they must be familiars, over." _

_ "Roger that Marcus, over."_

"What do you think Tav?" Biggs asked

"I think it's just an opportunistic raid by White because tonight the army discovered transgenics here.  They obviously don't know our numbers, or they wouldn't have sent this lame assed recon in. They just got lucky and saw Steve and Alec's teams leave."

"How far in are we letting them penetrate?" Biggs asked.

"No further." 

_"Marcus six one hold your position keep your eyes open for anything, over." _

_ "Drago and Kane move your units into position and get ready to engage, over."_

Max could see feel his tension and repressed energy as he shrugged into his flak jacket and Biggs started to follow suit.

"Where the hell do you two think you're going," she demanded.

Two sets of startled eyes swung to her.

"To eliminate the familiars," Tav replied strapping on his gun.  "We'll only be gone for ten minutes," he added grimly.

"Like hell you are," Max snapped.  "Alec left you here to look after this lot." She gestured expansively around the room.  "How the fuck are you going to do that if White puts a bullet in your head?"  
"I've got a helmet Max." Tav smiled smugly as he pulled it on.

"What about Alec then. Who is going to co-ordinate back up for him, huh," she demanded.  She could see she was getting through to him as his restless frustrated eyes skittered past hers.  She felt Cece come and stand beside her and Kat on her other side. 

"I need you here for Steve, Tav.  Drago and Kane can handle it without you," Kat said quietly.

"We have transport armed up for two combat and a med Unit, as ordered, Sir," came from behind Tav.

 Max didn't need to see the frustrated sidelong glance Tav and Biggs exchanged to know that they were staying. 

_"Drago six one and Kane six one, eliminate them, over,"_ Tav's voice was harsh with repressed frustration. 

They watched as the screens showed an almost immediate response and the little infra red blips that donated familiars started to extinguish."

Max heard the explosion over the speakers and the collective gasp as Alec's controlled voice announced he had just lost a van. Praying silently she listened as the field units talked to each other. The collective cheer when he announced the helicopter was dead was deafening.

She heard Kat's heart felt sigh of relief from beside her.  "Alec will get him, he'll be all right," Kat assured herself quietly.

_"This is Grey six two, Alpha two has a chest wound. Medic can't do anything for him. He needs a hospital we're gonna make a run for harbour lights hospital its only ten minutes from here, over."_

_"This is Dale six one Negative, on that, negative on that. Hold your position, stay the fuck where you are."_ Dale roared.

_"This is Alpha one status report Dale."_

_"They're pinned with fifty yards of open ground between them and their vehicle.  We have to kill the birds first, I'm going after the anti aircraft in our van, over."_

_"Roger that Dale.  Do it.  Grey six two hold your position until further orders, over."_

_"Tav we're dying out here.  How far away are you?"_

_"I've got two combat and one med unit approximately thirty minutes from extraction point.  I'll have units at harbour lights in twenty minutes, over."_

_"This is alpha one, divert them and send them to the hospital we'll meet them there, over"_

Max watched the flurry of activity as Biggs organised the dispatch of units for the hospital. 

"Kat, we'll need two support units at the hospital not just for our own kind but to liase with civilians.  Ours will be one and Leah's the other tell them to get ready." 

"Both Units are ready and waiting, Max," she followed Leah's eyes to where the women from both Units were waiting expectantly.

All activity stopped at the sound of another explosion.

_"Fuck they just got Dale."_

_"This is alpha one what the fuck just happened."_  The sound of gunfire was unrelenting in the background.

_"This is Grey six two, they just got Dale, Sir, he made it to the van but a fucking bird just blew it away."_

Max's eyes flew to Leah's frozen face. She watched as Kat put her arm around her shoulders and Leah turned uncomprehending eyes to Kat's.  

_"We're sitting ducks here Si…what the fuck…"_

The sound of another explosion was deafening.  

_"This is Grey six two, fuck he must have grabbed the thing on the run…"_ the agitated garbled voice of Grey's male was drowned out by another huge explosion.

Max held Kat's gaze in trepidation sure that the fear in Kat's eyes was mirrored in her own. She felt her stalled heart kick-start as Alec's welcome bark filled the room again.

_"Grey six two, what the fuck is happening report, over."_

_"This is Grey six two Sir, Dale killed both birds I repeat, both birds are dead. He must have made it out the side of the van before it blew. He is down now.  We don't know his status.  Three of his guys have just gone to get him, over."_

Max's eyes went in silent support to Leah, whose desolate face was now a mixture of fear and hope.

_"This is Alpha six one our ETA is five minutes, just hang in there, over."_

"Hhe didn't want to wait for us to mate but I made him. I wanted it to be perfect, not hurried and rushed before the mission. I wish I hadn't made him wait, Leah whispered shakily."

Max's eyes moved past her to Kat who was rubbing Leah's arm in sympathy her own face calm and expressionless.  Please let Alec be okay Max prayed again.

They waited the only sounds in the room the steady staccato sound of gunfire from the speaker and Tav's voice as he co-ordinated the units headed to relieve Alec.

Max's eyes scanned the security monitors.  The blips that donated the familiars had long since been extinguished and the continuous pulsing lines of blips on the screen now were their own kind ranged around the boundaries of TC. It had been just as Tav had predicted, on transgenic ground the familiars had proved to be of little consequence.

_"This is Dale six two, we have the anti air craft gun and more wounded.  Dale's leg is pissing blood, it looks like an arterial bleed, plus we have two other criticals, over. "_ The gasping breathlessness of Dale's second told them that he was on the move.

_"Eat that you fuckers,"_ another explosive sound as the anti aircraft gun demolished its target, sent a resounding cheer around the room.  They all listened to the panting exertion of Dales second and the sounds of battle in the background as they fought their way to their vehicles carrying their wounded.

"Go, go, go, we have your back go, go." The loud boom of the anti tank gun resonated through the room again.

_"This is Dale six two we are loaded and mobile in two of our vehicles and two of theirs. Our route is straight until we hit Main then Boulevard 5 and straight again till we hit the hospital.  Our big gun is dead and we got them on our tail, over."_

_"Roger that, we have visual on you, and we're on your ass, and our gun ain't dead, over."_  

The resounding and now familiar noise of the anti aircraft gun as it hit its target again boomed through Command. It was meet with more cheering and resounding Yes's as Alec's two disjointed forces reunited and headed for the hospital.

The smell of testosterone and adrenalin was overpowering now much stronger than at the alpha fight. As Alec's steady calm voice broke over the room Max's gaze raked the tense hard faces of the males in the room.  The energy and controlled aggression wasn't intimidating like it had been at the alpha fight, here it was comforting, reassuring even. It was that aggression and their instinct to protect their own that would get Alec and his team home safely and in the long run would ensure that his plan to make Seattle a transgenic controlled zone would succeed.

The noise of gunfire and the sounds of Alec's team suddenly stopped as the air went dead "What's happened where's he gone Max?" asked in trepidation.

"He's just closed the channel to us Max.  He'll still be monitoring the main channel and his teams channel but we're to far away to help him and he has enough distraction so he's shut us down. He'll turn us back on when he wants us."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_"All units involved in phase one get ready and into position to move, over."_ Tav's directive echoed ominously in Max's head sending her horrified eyes to him. No, he can't start the offensive while all this was going on what the hell is he thinking

"What the fuck are you doing? You don't have the authority for this? Our priority is to get them home." Panic stricken her eyes swept the rapidly emptying room. 

"Once Alec is clear he'll order Phase one. I'm just getting ready."

"Once I leave here I loose channel on Steve.  I've never not been there when he's been injured before." Kat's quiet, lost voice sent Max's eyes straight to hers.  

"You don't have to leav-" 

"Alec will get Steve to the hospital and he'll be fine, they'll both be fine." Tav interrupted Max, his eyes holding hers momentarily before fixing reassuringly on Kat."

_"This is Alpha two to Tanner six one, over."_

_ "Yeah Tav, its Tanner, over."_

_" Alpha six three and Dale six four's support units will be behind the first line, over."_

_"Roger that, Tav."_

His eyes still held Kat's, "You and I don't need channel to know they're still alive Kat."

"No," she agreed her voice firm and confident again, as she turned abruptly and gestured for her Unit to follow.

Max quickly understanding that Kat and Leah's support Units were being sent forward early started to follow.

Tav's hand on her arm stopped her. 

 "I'm going to Tav," she insisted, "I always intended to be with the support units."

"Yeah and when the rest of the support units go so will you, but Kat's and Leah's Units are going forward with the first wave.  They're trained soldiers and they won't be a liability, you will be."

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, Tav," Max spat indignantly.

"Yeah, in a street fight. Not in combat." 

Furious she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and started after Kat

"Max," his hard abrupt command stopped her in her tracks, she fought the unwelcome, invasive, compelling urge she had to turn back to him for as long as she could.

Tav waited until he could see her defiant angry face. 

"You saw what happened to the familiars, Max.  We extinguished them in less than five minutes with no casualties.  That's because we're soldiers. We didn't bother to engage them in hand to hand we just aimed our guns though the visors of their helmets and blew their fucking heads off.  All there fancy enhanced shit was irrelevant.  That is what will happen to you out there Max.  No one is going to want to engage you in hand to hand they will just blow you and your baby away from a nice safe distance." Feeling like shit he watched fear flit briefly across her face before her defiant mask was back in place.

 "Since you aren't even wearing a helmet or armour of any description even a familiar or an ordinary should be able to hit you with no trouble," he added bluntly.

"I'm in command here and you will do as I say, and I don't have time for any more of your undisciplined, self indulgent shit.  Now get your ass over to the screens open a channel to your females and do the job we need you for." 

Feeling like a fool, she saw the sense in what he was saying and it made her all the more furious.  Intending to do what he'd asked, but not without the last word she opened her mouth but found her brain would not obey. Closing her mouth soundlessly in frustration, she turned and made her way over to the computer consul.

Fuck, if Tav could render her speechless and compliant just by his will, and Alec was alpha to him what the fuck could Alec do. The speakers cackled into life again.

_"Tav how far away are our backup units. We've killed our tail and we're midtown now probably five minutes away, over?"_

_"They're making damn good time. They will hit the hospital just after you, over."_

_"Okay, Tav are we ready."_

_ "Yeah."_

_"Okay, lets do it.  Open a secure channel for me.  Switch everyone over and ditch all other channels, over."_

_"Listen up everybody, this is alpha one, on route for Harbour lights Hospital.  We lost a van carrying eight of our own kind, and we also have five criticals.  I don't want to loose any more of you tonight, so keep your eye on the game and your own at your back. Tonight for the first time we're fighting for our own cause. For the right to live free lives, our own way. Fighting is our game and nobody either ordinary or familiar has, or ever will, beat us at our own game.  We'll be at Harbour Lights waiting for you to arrive, over."_

There were only a few left in the Command building but the cheer that went up when Alec had finished talking could still have been heard outside the building.  

_"Tanner, Phase one will proceed as planned except in the north east our line will stop on the boundary of grid twenty instead of sixteen, over."_

_"Roger, I copy that Alpha one, see you in a few, over,"_

So it begins Max thought feeling a sense of surprising calm as she watched lines of little blips start to move outside the TC boundaries.

"We've only got four hours of darkness to secure a twenty mile radius."

"Yeah, Alec don't half like a challenge," Tav relied dryly, his eyes on the large screen that now had a map of Seattle with TC in the centre and expansion lines drawn outwards to a twenty mile radius.  Max noted Harbour light Hospital on the outside boundary of grid twenty. 

"The new boundary for harbour lights puts two more police stations and a police armoury within the zone, but that appears to be the only new hot spots," Dix said as he continued to scroll data on his screen."

"Alert Tanner then and give him the co ordinates. Police armoury may mean armoured vehicles, we're gonna need those. It's the civilian population that's gonna be the biggest headache, anyway."

Max's head swung sharply in his direction. "Why do you say that Tav?"

"Experience Max, they always are," he shrugged.

_Armoured vehicles what the hell. _"Experience Tav so you've invaded Seattle before?" she asked in sceptical amusement. 

"Yeah, many times it just had different names," he replied indifferently.

"So what do you do with the civilians then?" Max asked her feeling of calm replaced with a rapidly growing dread.

"Nothing if they leave us alone, if they don't we eliminate them," Tav replied matter if factly, tapping away at his keyboard.

Her mind numb all Max heard were Kats words repeating in her panic stricken head.  'Sometimes Alec doesn't know what to do if it doesn't fit either his instinctive response or his Manticore training. When that happens I think you'll know what to do Max."

"Tav I want to open a private channel to Alec how do I do that?"  

"You can't I have to."

"Okay, thanks," she said gratefully.

"I'm not going to Max.  He's ordered us to one channel to eliminate all extraneous distraction and confusion. We're in combat we don't chat." he added patronisingly.  Rolling his eyes he went dismissively back to what he was doing."

Incredulous, Max's eyes narrowed on him.  "Listen here you patronising, insufferable little prick.  I'm the alpha female here and if I want a private channel open to the alpha male when my females are in the field then you will fucking well open one."  That is the way of it.  Do I make my fucking self clear?"  

The only sound was the continuous static voices on the radio as all activity in command stopped and all eyes swung to an angry narrow eyed Max and Tav as he stared calmly back at her.  

"That is the way of it," Tav agreed, and reaching past Dix he tapped some keys. "There's your channel.  At the moment Alec is trying to listen to everybody," Tav gestured to the radio with its continuous flow of voices as the unit CO's communicated with their units. 

"But nobody is talking to him because we know that unless it's urgent he doesn't want us to distract him before the doctor's have Steve and the rest of his injured.  His total focus now is to protect them.  When he has them safe then he'll talk to us."

Surprised at his easy capitulation, her anger gone Max stared back at him.  "Thankyou," she offered stiffly.  Suddenly aware of how hard her heart was hammering in her chest she stared sightlessly at the computer consul and silently, whole heartedly wished Alec was there.  

Tav glanced sideways at her frozen face as she stared fixedly at the screen in front of her. Fuck, he and Alec had never fought but he had a feeling that had Alec been here for that little exchange that would no longer have been true.  

"I'm sorry Max, I was out of line." 

 She glanced quickly at him "Yeah, you were. I'm only trying to do my job, like you," she said, her eyes back on the screen in front of her.

"I might not have the same training as you, Kat or Alec but I do have something to contribute."   

"Yeah, I know that, you do good work."  

Surprised and pleased she looked at him. But, and there is a but, she realized noting the mix of emotions behind his eyes. 

"You know you remind me a lot of Alec," she said quietly.

He stared warily back at her. 

 "You don't like me do you?"  

"What's not to like? You do good work," he replied his eyes steady as they held hers.

"You love Alec and I treated him like shit."

"Yeah, you did, but you aren't doing that now so I've got no reason to dislike you."

"I love him too," she admitted.

"Yeah,' he acknowledged blandly his eyes dark and unreadable as he steadily held her gaze.

"You don't believe me do you?" She shrugged in acceptance as he silently returned her gaze. "Well that's okay."  It's been awfully hard to convince, Alec, as well," she admitted her lips quirking in a self-depreciating smile.

Frowning contemplatively he held her gaze for a long moment before he quirked his eyebrow and went back to his work.

Suppressing her smile at his unconscious emulation of a typical Alec facial expression Max realized that while he may not like her she did like him.  He might be sarcastic, smart assed and arrogant but he reminded her too much of Alec for her not to like him 

TBC

This chapter has been really slow and difficult to write so I have made it shorter. I used to think smut was hard but compared to action scenes smut is easy. I'd really appreciate it if you review this chapter.  I'm feeling very insecure about the action.  I know what I want to write but I don't know if I've been successful or not.  Thanks again for all your past reviews and encouragement.   I will post a spoiler for the next chapter some time next week.


	27. Chapter 27

Thanks to Kiwi for the online betaring.

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"This is alpha one to Dale six one, status report on your injured, over."

" Hanging on by a thread alpha one, over"

"This is alpha one to Tyler six one we've just hit the hospital car park how far behind are you, over."

"Tyler six one ETA three minutes, over"

"We're going in without you we can't wait. Bring your units into the Emergency car park, over."

Alec's van hit the car park first, Clint taking the corner so fast that they momentarily spun out of control sideswiping another vehicle before he had it back on its four wheels again, and headed towards the ER entrance.

"Secure the ER."   Alec ordered, as they piled out of the van in front of him.  

He watched them jog purposefully into the building. Only eight of them but they were all big guys and the black body armour gave them even more bulk. Combined with the helmets and the large sinister M16's they were intimidating enough to make any opposition think twice before engaging them.

The first of the vans carrying the wounded screeched to a stop in front of him and Todd.

Todd leaned into the van and over Steve where he lay on the floor between the seats. "Fuck," he swore, when he saw the hole in his chest.  "Over here," he yelled gesturing the frightened orderlies over with the stretchers. 

"They were using slap rounds, the bastards, the vest took most of the impact but the bullet still penetrated," Dex explained urgently.

Todd slipped his hands beneath Steve's back and carefully pulled him out until Alec could slide his hands under his legs so they could load him onto a stretcher. Alec felt a sense of fear and foreboding as he noted Steve's grey colour and his bloodied messed up chest.  

The scent of blood and death was strong inside the van and his eyes flicked momentarily to Mike's still body as he lay across the legs of the guys on one seat before moving onto a bloodied, convulsing Dale lying across the legs of three of his Unit on the other seat, two trying to hold him while the other applied pressure to a geyser like bleed from his leg.  

"Mike didn't make it, Steve, Tash, and Rueben are critical but stable. "Dale's our worst he's got an arterial bleed that I can't tie off outside of surgery.  We've been transfusing him but its pissing out faster than we can get it back into him, and he's in shock.  He's gotta be in surgery five minutes ago," the medic relayed as Dale's three males shuffled out of the van carrying him. 

"We'll take him," Mezo his second snapped, as the frightened orderlies rushed forward.  Shouldering them out of the way he commandeered their stretcher and they loaded Dale onto it, the soldier holding the pressure pad to his leg leaping on with him.

Running along beside Dale's stretcher Alec heard the welcome rumble of heavy vehicles.

"This is Tyler six one to alpha one, where do you want us Sir, over?"

"Take half your guys, start from the ground floor up and neutralize all internal security. Guards at all entrances on every floor, but let business proceed as usual.  The other half secures the building perimeter.  No incoming no outgoing.  Keep me appraised, over"

"Roger that Alpha one, over."

"Yeah, and Tyler send your med unit to us in Emergency, over,"

"Roger that alpha one, over."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Here Max you have the Kevlar it's not as bulky as these things," Tav said as he relieved her of the bulkier vest. "It won't be so uncomfortable for you." 

"Yeah thanks," surprised, Max returned his quick smile as he shouldered his way into the bulkier body armour. 

"How long behind the front advance will we be."  

"Not long a couple of hours probably by the time they need us. We'll go straight forward, the fighting units would have dispensed with what little opposition they would have encountered tonight.  It will only take us as long as it takes to deploy the support units. Unless the familiars Alec tangled with tonight figure out where he went and come after him then we should be safe until morning, our real work will start then, once the City knows we're here, " he said with relish.  

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" 

He glanced at her sideways as he strapped his equipment on. "Yeah, I am.  For the last year we've hidden away and eaten all the shit that's been thrown at us, so yeah I am glad that we are finally standing up for ourselves."

"I don't mean that, I mean this, all this war shit." She gestured disparagingly at the M16 he was slinging over his shoulder then around them at all the activity as the vehicles were armed and loaded for their push to the new boundary

"Yeah," he shrugged, "I'm a soldier that's what I do. I'm good at it and I'd be lying if I said it doesn't feel good to be doing what I was trained to do, to have a purpose again," he shrugged.  "It's the same for all the guys.  No one's liked hiding and running while White's been killing us. We're good soldiers, much better than White and his enhanced fruitcakes or any ordinaries the army puts together and throws at us."

"For years ordinary officers have been calling us animals and controlling us by the threat of harm to our Units. This is our chance to not only show them we're more than animals but to show them we're much better soldiers than they are.  So yeah, I'm gonna enjoy this, as is every other transgenic that's had to do what an ordinary wanted because they killed our pack if we didn't."

"When I was young and Kat had to…do what she did, " he paused and his eyes moved off hers and swept over the compound before coming back to hers.

"Steve and I got shot.  His wasn't so bad but mine was. I didn't want to live anymore I'd had enough.  Alec bribed his way into the hospital and spent every night for two weeks telling me how it would feel when we were free. What we would do, and where we would go. He promised me that if I didn't give up, that one day we'd be free, all of us."

Max's eye was again drawn to the M16 as he hefted it aside. 

Her eyes moved back to his. "Yeah, I remember those dreams, I had them too," her voice small and sad, she remembered Zack telling her the same things when she had the tremors.

She glanced at him sideways as he continued to load the jeep with the comms gear Alec would need.  

"What were your dreams of freedom?" she asked curiously, hoping to get some insight into what Alec wanted from all of this.

For a moment he paused as he considered her question. 

"They were silly really," he finally admitted, shrugging self-consciously as he went back to loading the gear. "I was only fourteen, Alec was sixteen we didn't have much of an idea about anything, and most of it was just nonsense anyway, just talk to fill the silence."

But I remember how badly I wanted it. I didn't know much about it, but I wanted it because I knew it meant that ordinaries would no longer be able to use me as a means to control, Kat or manipulate Alec or Steve or any of my Unit. 

Wordlessly Max started at his back as he bent over the jeep remembering the rage and pain she'd felt when one of her brothers or sisters had been punished for trying to protect her. When he straightened up she stared at the handgun he offered her for a long moment before her eyes flicked back to his.  He raised his eyebrow questioningly.  

Finally accepting it she hefted it in her hand her thoughts on Alec and his dreams of freedom.  She knew that a big part of his dream would be the safety and protection of those he loved. If using a gun again was necessary to keep them safe, then so be it. Staring after Tav's retreating back she attached and fastened the holster and gun to her belt and when Sarah offered her an M16 along with a comms unit she accepted both without pause.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The continuous clipped, controlled voices from her earpiece were calming and gave a sense that everything was under control.  She hadn't heard Alec's voice since he'd told Tav that his support units were there. His team were operating on another channel from the main advance and while she would have liked to have known what was happening at the hospital, she knew silence meant that everything was okay with them. As she listened to the reassuring drone of the Unit CO's relaying news of their virtually unobstructed advance she wondered at the irony of her being comforted by the sounds of war.  

They were only about an hour way from Harbour Lights Hospital. As they jogged past Logan's building looking up at it she was reminded of how sad and only half alive she'd been before her heat and Alec.  She glanced across at Sarah jogging beside her on one side and Mila on the other, this was where she belonged these were her people and this was her fight.  

She 'd been a long time out of training and forgotten this feeling of power and exhilaration when her adrenalin was pumping and she was doing what she was trained to do, surrounded by her own kind.  She'd buried those feelings deep but she was no longer doing Manticore's bidding.   This was for their own cause, for Alec, and the rest of her own kind, and for the first time in her life Max felt grateful for her Manticore training. 

So far everything had proceeded like clockwork, the only resistance encountered had been at police stations and government security installations. Their advance wave had neutralised those and it had felt both strange and exhilarating to be jogging through sector checkpoints and past police stations now manned by their own soldiers.

So far it had gone exactly as Alec had predicted, they had encountered minimal resistance and where they had their own kind had dispensed with it without a transgenic casualty. There had been a few ordinary casualties but astonishingly so far no deaths. When Alec had told her he expected faze one to proceed without much fighting she'd been sceptical, but he'd been right the element of surprise had worked well in their favour.

Tonight they had neutralised all police and government resistance within their new zone and in the morning the work of sorting out how to live peacefully with the civilian population would begin. By that time she would be with Alec and hopefully able to liaise between him and the civilian population so that they wouldn't need the armoured vehicles Tav had talked about.

Uneasily she realized that Alec had never really talked about what he saw happening after they had military control.  When she had raised it he had skirted around it saying that he had to win first. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is alpha one to Tav.  The hospital is secure no casualties either side, over."

Max couldn't help her involuntary smile as Alec's welcome voice crackled in her ear.

"Steve?" Tav asked immediately. 

"He's bad, real bad and so's Reuben."

"Fuck." 

Max's pleasure at hearing Alec's voice drained away, her thoughts going first to Steve and then to Reuben another member of their unit a large quiet guy who always hung out with Tav and Todd.

" I've sent Kat and Leah's support units on ahead with Tanner and the first wave. And our ETA is about an hour, over."

"Roger that Tav, over."

Responding to Tav's hand on her shoulder Max jogged sombrely with him back to the jeep.  He vaulted in as it moved slowly past them and extending his hand he pulled her onboard. They had already deployed half of the support Units and by the time they reached the hospital there should be just her and Tav plus the fighting Units protecting their back.

"Do you want me to get Biggs to hook you up on the private channel now?"  

He met her appreciative smile with a quick strained grin. He may not have liked the way she treated Alec in the past but she was making him happy now, and hearing about Steve and Rueb had put that in perspective for him.  None of them really knew how long they had and if she made Alec happy then he was gonna do his best to make that easy for her.

"Yeah, thanks Tav."  

"Alpha six five to Alpha six four, open private channel to Alec, over."

"Roger that Tav, over"

"It's open Max, over."  

"Hey Alec."

"Hey Max, is everything okay?" he asked anxiously? She could hear the noise of hospital machinery and voices behind him as he talked.  

"Yeah, just checking on how everything is going with you. I'm on my way forward with Tav?"  She found herself explaining much to her annoyance.

"Yeah, Max, I know." 

She could hear the amusement in his voice and found herself smiling as well. They had been skirting the issue of her being in the field for weeks.  Now fate had taken a hand leaving no real choice, she'd be absolutely no use to him tucked away in TC if the thrust of the offensive was going to be managed from the hospital. 

"How's Steve?" she asked, her thoughts quickly going to Kat.

"He's not good we're in surgery now?" Shocked Max realized the noises she could hear must be the sounds in the operating room.  

"I've gotta go. I'll see you soon.  Be careful, Max," he said as he clicked off.

"Yeah you too," she whispered, to dead air. 

 Tav glanced at her quickly, "He'll be really distracted, Max, he's gotta monitor Tanner, and the main advance, as well as Biggs, and us plus whatever is happening there.

"Steve must be bad if Alec's in the operating room with him." 

"The medics must have found an ordinary who's better at chest wounds than they are. Alec would only be in there if the surgeon was an ordinary, he hates all that shit it makes him squeamish especially if it's his own Unit.  He's only in there cause ordinaries can't be trusted."

Max frowned at him.  "Why can't they be trusted? They're doctor's for gods sake they takes oaths to do the right thing by their patients."

"Yeah their human patients, not us, once they get a look at our physiology they soon know we ain't that. Plus were also invaders they wouldn't be to keen to help us even if we were human. Since its been our experience to date that civilian hospitals aren't a very good place to be if you're injured and transgenic we're always in there with them, no matter what the injury.

"Well if you go with that expectation then surely it's a self fulfilling prophecy?  

"Yeah, well I dunno," he shrugged. * Sometimes her view of things really surprised him.*

It was quiet and few people were about as they left the support units with the fighting Units now stationed strategically around the city. 

As they drove through the early morning towards the hospital Tav glanced sideways at her. "Alec hates hospitals.  He's always stressed and freaked when he has to deal with ordinary doctors and he possibly doesn't cope with them as well as he does other things," he said cryptically, and out of the blue.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked suspiciously. 

"Nothing, I'm just saying," he said shrugging, remembering the last time that Kat had needed ordinary medical help and what had happened to the ordinary doctor who'd told them they should take her to the vet. 

What was he just saying, she wondered frowning suspiciously?  He met her sideways glance with that guileless smile common to both him and Alec. The one that always meant trouble.  Uneasily she returned her eyes to the road.  

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They'd had a clean unimpeded run to the hospital and all the support units were now strategically deployed along with the fighting units around their new zone.  

"Yes!" Tav grinned elatedly, as the hospital surrounded by their black clad soldiers came into view. 

Sharing his exuberance Max couldn't help the same rush of pride she felt seeing her own kind efficiently directing business. For the first time she had a real sense that this was going to work, they were going to win this.  In fact they were winning it she told herself as their jeep was waved through.  They were going to make a safe home for themselves in Seattle and all their combined childish and adult dreams of freedom were becoming a reality. She followed Tav across the car park her thoughts on Alec   It was his skill, commitment and sheer guts that were making it a reality. How could she have ever imagined he was a screw up that needed her to rescue him?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We had this conversation before. You do and you will, or else I blow your fucking head off," Alec ground out.

She could hear his furious voice as she and Tav went through the large double doors into the hospital.  Narrow eyed she glared at an innocently shrugging Tav. She heard his whoosh of breath as her elbow connected with his stomach. *That fucking smile on either of them always meant trouble.*

Coming to a halt in the doorway of the emergency room, her shocked eyes moved between Alec and the white coated ordinary whose ear he had the muzzle of his handgun in.  If it hadn't been for his voice and his scent she wouldn't have been able to pick him out from the other twenty or so soldiers positioned around the emergency room their guns at the ready. 

The emergency room looked like a battle scene from a futuristic movie.  They were all still in full combat gear Kevlar vests, black helmets, handguns, knives, M16's, their radio earplugs with the wraparound microphones still in place.  They looked sinister and very intimidating. 

Her eyes moved quickly across the room to Kat in full combat gear sitting awkwardly beside Steve her fingers twined with his, and up to Steve's still, ashen face and down to his chest now swathed in white bandages. She quickly inventoried the rest of their injured.

"Alec?"  Max's clear authoritative voice brought both his and the doctor's eyes to her.

"Is there a problem doctor? she asked crisply.  Moving to Alec's side she flicked her glance pointedly to the gun and back to his eyes, she could see how angry and cold they were through the visor of his helmet, but to her relief he lowered the gun.

"Is there a problem Doctor?" she repeated, taking her helmet off and shaking out her hair. If she was to be able to liase with these people she had to at the least appear human.  Dressed like this and armed to the teeth they all looked like menacing inhuman invaders.  

"Yes, there is a problem. I've just told this ignorant thug that I won't operate on this man," the doctor blustered defiantly, gesturing to Reuben unconscious on the gurney Alec was standing beside.

"Yes, you will you're his best chance and you WILL do it." Alec threatened coldly.

"No I won't not with a gun to…"

Alec's gun was back in the doctor's ear before he'd even finished talking.  Max heard the mechanism engage and realized he was about to shoot.  Horror struck she reacted instinctively moving between him and the doctor and reached up to pull Alec's helmet off.  Surprised his startled eyes swung to hers.  She inserted herself properly into the small space between him and the doctor her heart hammering in her chest as she met the doctor's eyes.

"My mate isn't ignorant and he isn't a thug he's just stressed and worried about his brother." 

As she said it she knew how true it was, she could smell Alec's panic and feel his tension.

"Why are you refusing to operate on Reuben? Is it the policy of this hospital to let people die?" she asked coldly. 

She could feel the anger emanating of Alec and with his tense rigid chest against her shoulder and dread in her heart she willed the doctor not to say he didn't operate on Transgenics.

"Of course it isn't," the doctor blustered indignantly.  "That's why I won't operate on him.   I've already been in theatre for sixteen hours and I can't handle the stress of another operation with him breathing down my neck and his gun in my ear.  This man has a chest wound similar to the other one, to get the bullet fragments out requires delicate complicated work.  Look at my hands young lady."

Max stared at the shaking hands he held out to her. Steadying his hands in both of hers she meet his eyes. "I'm sorry if we've frightened you, it wasn't our intention, we just want to get our people fixed and you can go about your business." 

Alec looked down at her bent head as she held the doctor's hands reassuringly in her own. *Fuck he hated hospitals the loathsome, familiar smells of death and fear and his own panic.*

Dex had said this doctor was the best cardio vascular surgeon in the country.  A scared old man, and Steve and Reuben's best source of help and he'd nearly killed him for no real reason.  He hadn't been uncooperative and resistant because he didn't want to treat Transgenics, but because he'd been petrified of him. He holstered his gun.

Releasing the doctor's hands Max stepped back until her shoulder was touching Alec's chest again and groped for his hand twinning her fingers with his. She could feel the tension in his arm but he left her hand in his. 

"Please can you try doctor Alec won't be in the one in theatre with you this time and there'll be no gun."  Max seeing the relief in his eyes realized that he had no problem with doing the surgery his problem was with Alec.

"Yes I will be Max I…"

Max squeezed his hand so hard it sent his angry eyes to her again. Staring at him for a long moment she willed him quiet as she turned back to the doctor. 

"We've both been in theatre far too long. " The Doctor gestured to a white-coated female who Max assumed was the other surgeon before his eyes touched on Reuben again.

"He'll die if you don't." Alec said.  Even to his own ears his voice sounded belligerent and much harsher than he'd intended.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes as the older ordinary doctor and Alec glared at each other Max flicked her impatient eyes between the two of them her grip on Alec's hand now vice like.

"The longer you argue about this the worse it is for Reuben. You will not be in the theatre Alec, Todd will be."  Gesturing Todd over she removed his helmet and reached for his sidearm, her eyes narrowing on him as he grabbed it protectively. Batting his hand away she removed it and turned back to the doctor.

"Todd will be in there with you doctor because that is the way we do things, but he won't be armed and he will not talk or interrupt you.  You and your staff have nothing to fear from us. I know you're tired and stressed, but if our medics say you're better than them, then Reuben is having you.  Now you can either walk in there under your own steam doctor or I will let my mate assist you in.  What is it to be?" she asked crisply.

"Yes, well if you keep him the hell away from me and I have his guarantee that my staff will be left alone to do their work without any more guns being pointed at them, then okay?" the doctor agreed his eyes already on Rueben.

"You have his guarantee and mine," Max assured him her grip on Alec's hand crushing. 

"I'll do my best then," he acceded turning quickly to Reuben.

She watched them load Reuben's gurney into the lift before she turned back to Alec.  He met her chilly gaze his own defensive and wary. 

 "I said I wouldn't interfere in military matters Alec because that's your strength.  This is mine," she said gesturing at the frightened wary people huddled in scattered groups throughout the ER.

Pulling her eyes off him she walked into the wide doored room with the cluster of beds that held there wounded.  She put her hand comfortingly on Kat's shoulder, her throat tight as she looked from Steve's white face to the blinking red cursor on the machine he was hooked up to.

"How is he Kat?" she asked quietly.

"He's stable, they said the next twenty-four hours are critical.  He's really strong and he'll fight, he won't want to leave me on my own but…. he's never been as bad as this before…" she trailed off.  Max could hear the fear in her voice, her eye drawn to the contrast Kat's smaller hand made as it rested over Steve's large one.

"I'm glad you're here Max, Alec doesn't cope very well with hospitals and doctors," she added quietly.  "He tries but they have too many bad memories for him."  

"He wouldn't let us take our armour off. He's afraid we'd be too vulnerable, but we need to be able to do what we always do when they're injured.  They need to know we're here." Max could see the anxiety in her eyes even through the visor of her helmet. 

"If you need to take it off then do it, Kat," she said, shrugging.  She followed Kat's eyes to Leah looking as uncomfortable as Kat as she sat beside an unconscious Dale and gestured for Leah to do the same. 

Her eyes were quickly drawn back to the blinking red light on Steve's machine before moving unconsciously to a safe, healthy, uninjured Alec now leaning against the wall in the main ER room listening intently to his comms unit.  

She'd turned hers off because the incessant drone of the drama outside made it hard for her to concentrate on what was happening around her.  He'd been listening to that, plus monitoring Biggs in TC and trying to deal with what was going on in here while he tried to keep their injured alive.  No wonder he was stressed.  Her eyes lingered affectionately on his intent face as he chewed his lip while he listened.  

Feeling her eyes on him he guardedly returned her stare.  He knew he'd handled the ordinary doctor very badly and had she not stopped him he would have killed him. She was angry with him and she'd probably end up being a lot angrier by the time this was finished. 

Her expression was unreadable as she walked across the room to him.  

"I'm glad you're okay Alec." She put her arms around him and hugged his waist.  

Surprised and relieved he rubbed his cheek on the top of her head his arms around her as she settled against him. 

"I'm not very good with hospitals and doctors and shit, Max," he admitted ruefully.

"Yeah, I saw that, but you're good at the military stuff and that's what we need you for. From now on I'll be dealing with the civilians anyway.  Right?"

"Yeah."

Her arms still around his waist she pulled back and searched his face.  He stared solemnly back at her.

"You were going to shoot him weren't you Alec?"

His face still and serious he grimaced in rueful agreement as he steadily returned her gaze.

"Yeah, I knew you were," she admitted pulling him close again, and settling her head against his chest her ear over his heart so she could hear its comforting beat. For once not so grateful that he didn't lie to her. "You didn't though, and that's what matters."

She moved her head again so her ear was again over his heart and she could still hear its steady beat.  His eyes were open and unguarded as they held hers.  

He'd been raised like her to be a soldier and while she'd escaped he'd spent his life becoming what he'd been breed and trained for, killing people before they killed him and his. She had no illusions, she knew he would kill without a qualm if he thought there was no other way to protect his own. So would she if she had to. However the situation with the ordinary doctor had been wholly avoidable.  It was a mismanaged confrontation of the sort she'd never before seen Alec involved in. She was starting to understand what Kat had meant when she'd said that she needed to know his strengths and she needed to know his weaknesses.

"I love you Alec, nothing will change that."  

His eyes roamed her face and she felt his hand on her as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. 

*His instincts compelled him to protect what was his and she'd understood that today with the doctor and she hadn't condemned him for it. Maybe she'd understand the rest as well.* 

"You know that day in Jam pony when Logan put his hand on you, Max?" 

She immediately knew what he was talking about.  It hadn't taken her long to figure out why his unit had been all over him that day, and she also knew what his eyes were asking her.

"Nothing will change that Alec," she repeated emphatically.  "I love all of you."

"Yeah." 

It was just one word, but it made all the noise, confusion and drama of the ER recede into the background. There was just Alec and her and he'd finally accepted that she loved him

He smiled that slow intimate smile that made her heart race and her mouth go dry. Oblivious to the noise from his earpiece and the people around him he bent to kiss her.  His lips had barely touched hers when he scented the female surgeon, still holding Max he raised his head from hers.  His eyes now cold went to where the doctor hovered uncertainly.  

"Dex asked me to look at your ribs he and Rob are busy patching up the rest of your minor wounds. 

"I said I'd…"

Max had felt his lips brush hers and then withdraw.  Opening her eyes her moue of disappointment turned into surprise when she heard his cold voice.

"They're fine, I don't need your help," he snapped. *What the hell was Dex thinking he knew how he felt about ordinary medics, especially the female ones?*

Really surprised when she realized who he was talking to, her eyes went quickly back to his face now tight and tense again.  *Fuck, they weren't kidding when they said he didn't cope very well with ordinary doctors. She'd never heard him speak to a woman like this before.*

"There's no need to talk to me like that," the female doctor snapped back.  "I'm merely doing a favour for a colleague, a professional favour."  

Alec snorted contemptuously, "I've just sai…"

"Thank you doctor, I'm Max," she interrupted frowning at Alec as she disengaged herself from his now tight grip.

"I'm Cassandra, Cass for short," she said smiling.  

Cass already knew she liked this no nonsense take-charge young women. She'd admired the way she'd handled both her argumentative Brian and her own aggressive young bull.  Her eyes flicked to a belligerent Alec now leaning against the wall regarding her coldly.  

She'd felt Brian's agitation at keeping his patient waiting as the two of them had argued about whether or not Brian would do the operation.   However Brian had been right.  The first operation had been a nightmare with the distraction of this one communicating with his men in one ear and his gun in Brian's other ear.

"Thanks Cass, if Dex says his ribs have to be looked at then lets look at them."  She'd already followed Cass into a treatment cubicle before she realized that Alec wasn't with them.  Moving back to the doorway she saw couldn't see where he'd disappeared.

"Look I'm really sorry he's never normally like this.  Hospitals just bring out the worst in him. I guess." She finished lamely.

"I understand I've seen it before.  If you've had a bad experience with a medical practitioner when your sick and vulnerable its hard to trust the next one. Unfortunately there are a few in your group like that."

"Yeah, well they haven't had to much TLC from ordinaries in their lifetimes," Max said defensively.

"I'm sorry that's the case, but Brian didn't refused to operate on Reuben because he's transgenic he couldn't give a toss about that.  He didn't want to operate because as stressed as he was, he was a danger to the patient.  But being Brian he wasn't going to tell your young man that because he was scared his hands were shaking. "

"No," Max agreed.

"And Alec being Alec wasn't going to back off either." She shared a smile of understanding with the older woman.

"He does need his ribs looked at. Dex said they were badly broken only a couple of days ago.  He shouldn't even be on his feet yet let alone abseiling…"

"What abseiling? Oh for fucks sake," Max said exasperatedly.  "Sometimes I think he's got no common sense whatsoever."

"Mezo," she called as he walked past.  "Send Alec to me in here now and ask Dex to meet us in here as well.  Thanks."

"I appreciate your trying to help but he's better with Dex."  Max explained feeling awkward as she met the calm perceptive eyes of the older woman.

"The arterial bleed to the leg was delirious, convulsing and in shock, but he was worried and rambling about one of the nurses putting her scent on him. Fear of medical people can be illogical and deeply engrained." 

"His name is Dale," Max said absently, thinking it highly unlikely that steady, fearless Dale would be scared of an ordinary nurse.

"Max, where's Dex then?" 

Alec interrupted her thoughts his voice cold and distant again as he stood warily in he doorway.

"He'll be here in a minute."

"I'll get back to work then since you won't be needing me," Cass said crisply as she walked past Alec.

Max watched bewildered as Alec drew back as she passed. 

"What was that all about Alec?"  Walking over to him she started unfastening his vest.  

"I told you I don't like them.  I thought you said they were yours to deal with now anyway," he snapped. 

Her eyes went in surprise to his.  He obviously didn't want to talk about it and if it made him edgy like this then neither did she.  Silently she helped him off with his equipment.

"Your clothes are wet through," she said in exasperation, as she slid his vest off and carefully pushed his wet shirt and tee shirt up his body. Some of the wet adhesive strapping that should have been bracing his ribs came off with his clothes. The rest of it still on his body had lost its adhesion and she could slip her finger in between it and his skin.

"They'll have to be taped again Alec.  Sit on the bed and I'll cut it off for you."

Her eyes flew to his as he took her scissors out of her hand and pulled her into his arms. She wrapped hers around his back as he sat on the bed his face buried in her neck.  She could feel the tension in his body. When he didn't move but just continued to hold her, unsure of what he wanted from her she started to rub her hands soothingly across the bunched muscles of his back. She heard his grunt of appreciation and realized with surprise that that was all he wanted, just touch and comfort. A first for Alec, but she was obviously doing the right thing because she could feel his tension easing as she continued to stroke his back.

"You know one of the reasons I wanted to be free when I was young was because I thought I'd be able to protect my unit so they'd never have to go to hospital again." 

He'd been still and quiet for a while, and when he finally spoke he was so quiet in her ear that if it hadn't been for her transgenic hearing she wouldn't have heard it.  

"Yeah its funny the way we see things as children," she whispered back, thinking how similar all their dreams had been.  "My reasons were the same I just wanted us all to be safe and happy." She felt his arms tighten around her as he pulled her closer.

"Steve and Reub, all of us we've been together since before I can remember." His voice was tight and full of emotion.

She didn't bother to tell him they'd both be all right, he knew the odds as well as she did and he wasn't asking for empty reassurances.  

Pulling back but still in the circle of his arms brown eyes locked with green,  "We're doing the right thing Alec, the only thing. We all want this and we're going to win it and be free and have the lives we dreamed about, and so will our families. Yours and mine," she said softly still holding his eyes as she put his hand on their baby.

 "Yeah," he agreed his heart lighter and his doubt receding. She was right their child was going to be free and its life was going to be good, they would accept nothing else for it.

She had a gift for putting everything into perspective for him. With her he'd already realized everything he'd ever dreamed and every vague longing he'd ever had, and not really understood.  To keep that he had to keep her safe and free, he had to keep them all free.

Cradling her face in his hands he kissed her sweet and lingeringly. 

"So lets get your ribs bound up again before they come at us again," She leaned up unable to resist one last quick kiss.

Cassandra glancing into the cubicle across from where she was working noticed Max with her arms around the aggressive, belligerent Alec. When his men had first stormed into her ER she'd been petrified they had all been so threatening and intimidating, but so far they hadn't hurt anyone and were only interested in getting their injured attended to.  

The two they called medics were two of the best doctor's she'd ever seen work and apart from the two chest wounds they'd also performed all their own surgery, she would have hired them into her ER in a second. They had been going to do the chest injuries themselves too until Dex had recognised Brian from medical literature he'd read and convinced their harsh voiced leader that he was the better surgeon for the two chest wound patients.  

Up until then they'd more or less left them alone and let them work on their own patients but once Alec had reluctantly agreed to let Brian operate the fun and games had started.  She'd assisted Brian on the first operation and it had been intolerably stressful. Alec had left Brian in no doubt that if the patient died they were both dead as well.  Brian had operated for nearly three hours with his gun in one ear and Alec talking to his men in his other ear.

She'd watched with her heart in her mouth as his usually sure and steady hands had wavered a few times during the ordeal. Thankfully Alec and the young woman, who'd come in half way through the operation and stood quietly at the foot of the bed, had been none the wiser.  She'd been so proud of how Brian had kept his cool whilst executing one of the most difficult operations she'd ever seen him perform. That the patient had survived had astounded both of them and was testament to what a tough breed these transgenics were.

She'd know he couldn't do the second surgery under the same conditions and had tried to explain that to Alec. Up close he'd been even more intimidating his eyes cold and contemptuous behind his visor.  She'd quickly given that up realizing she was wasting her time.  Brian, as she knew he would be, was too proud to tell him why he couldn't do the surgery and had nearly got his stupid self shot for his pride. *Men.*

She glanced up from her suturing and watched Alec's intent preoccupation as Max put his hand on her stomach.  *Ah, so she's pregnant.*He's not aggressive with her she mused smiling as he took Max's face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. When he'd been about to shoot Brian and Max had averted it by whipping his helmet off, once her arrested heart had started beating again, she'd been astounded at how young he was.  By the way he'd handled his men she'd assumed he was much older.  The next thing that had struck her was his angelic face, both of their angelic faces as her eyes had swung between the two of them.  

Once Max had instructed the others to remove their helmets she'd been shocked to see that none of them were much older than twenty. Her eyes went again to the cubicle opposite as Max ducked under his arm and started cutting the tape away from his ribs. Over Max's head Alec's cold eyes met hers. *So young to be so hostile*

He winced and groaned as she gently pulled the tape away from his skin.

"That shouldn't be hurting they should be more healed than that by now," she said anxiously.

"Pull it quick Max your pulling hair out, that's what hurts," he complained.

"You can be such a baby Alec." She pulled the tape quickly while he continued to groan as if he was in agony.

"I don't know what you're moaning about its not as if you've got much hair to pull out," she laughed.

"Yeah well it still hurts." 

"Why do you like hairy?" he asked sullenly after some thought.

."Yuk, no I hate it," she said shuddering. 

"Well then just as well you picked me and not Logan isn't it?" he smirked.  

She smiled evilly at him from under her eyelids as she quickly ripped the last bit of tape from his skin.  He moaned like he was dying.  Laughing she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

She stroked her fingers soothingly across the discoloured areas.  "Some of the bruising is still there but it looks a lot better.  Do you think you did any damage when you abseiled down the dam? " Her lips pursed and disapproving her eyes went to his.

"Nah, they're a lot better.  I can hardly feel them at all now, and the little bit I can feel is probably because the strapping has come loose."

"What about your collarbone you're still favouring that arm a bit."

He shrugged dismissively.

"Your fatigues are nearly dry, and they'll have to do," she said as she felt them,  "but I'm going to get a dry sweater and tee-shirt for you."

"Dex can't be far away."  

Alec nodded absently, his attention once again back on the radio in his ear.

Going into the room where their wounded were her eyes went first to Kat lying beside Steve her head on his shoulder talking quietly in his ear, and then to Leah doing the same beside Dale.  Her eyes swept the room to find all the beds were similarly occupied.  This is why they'd needed their armour off, and what Kat had meant when she'd said Steve needed to feel she was there. 

Frowning her mind flashed back to long cherished memories of the comforting feel of one of her brothers or sisters warm solid bodies wrapped around her when she'd had the tremors. Sadly she remembered how hard she'd cried and how alone and desolate she'd felt the first time she'd had the tremors after her Manticore escape and there had been no warm, comforting body. Her heart full of emotion her eyes once more swept the room and the people she loved.

Sensing the ordinary female doctor behind her she turned around.  "What do you want?" she asked defensively.  Moving to block her view of the room.  

Cass's perceptive eyes read the emotion in her face, as she stood there bristling and protective.

"I just wanted to see that everything was okay, in here," she answered lamely.  

This wasn't the first time Cass had come to hover outside the doorway, for some reason she found herself drawn here. They had at least five men in there, that from the injuries she'd seen should by rights be dead by now and yet they weren't.  And it wasn't just down to the excellent medical care they'd had.  There was a combined energy and feeling of care and calm in this room that she'd never experienced in a hospital ward before.

"Don't come in here again your scent will disturb them," Max said.  It sounded cold to her own ears and she hadn't meant it to, but if her presence upset Alec then it might be the same for the rest of them.

Cass hadn't had the courage to actually come in before and didn't really know why she'd followed Max in, but thought it was probably because she felt safe with her.

"What they're doing, sharing body warmth, and touch and talking to them like that its…"

"Its what Max," snapped harshly, getting ready to tell her to fuck off, and take her judgmental, ordinary, bullshit with her.

Surprised by her hostility, it only took Cass a minute to realize that Max thought she was getting ready to criticise and belittle what they were doing.  She's obviously had a lot of it she reflected sadly.

"There were a lot of studies done about this kind of healing at the start of the millennium, but this is the first time I've seen it done to this extent before."

Max stared at her blankly.

"Studies that were done on the levels of awareness of unconscious trauma patients and the value of relatives or even strangers talking to them, touching them and sharing body heat to motivate them to recover.  The studies all conclusively found that it favourably influenced recuperation, and most of the subjects, even the deep trauma patients remembered the contact in great detail.  I've always remembered it and over the years I've tried to get the relatives of my patients to try it, without much success, " she explained, thinking it was probably the main reason some of these criticals were still alive.

"Yeah, well its instinctive for us," Max explained less defensively. 

"I won't come in again, Dex has already explained that most of them are paranoid about medical people who aren't transgenics. I didn't realize they could smell me."  What a crying shame Cass thought as she walked away she would have given a years training to have observed what was happening in that room. 

Max made her way over to Dale's bed.  "How is he Leah?"  

"I think he's a  lot better.  He was really cold but he's a lot warmer now that we're getting some more blood into him, and I think he's already starting to replace his adrenalin stores, his breathing is deeper and more like he's asleep." She resumed stroking Dale's stomach. 

" His colours better too, don't you think?" 

"Yeah he's definitely not so pale," Max agreed.

"His leg wasn't too badly injured.  He's had worse bullet wounds.  It was the blood loss and the stress that put on his system, but he's tough and I know he's gonna be okay," she said confidently.  

"Yeah, I think your right," Max agreed.

 "Can I borrow these for Alec, his are sopping wet?" She gestured to Dale's clothes neatly stacked on the chair.

"Sure Max, take them, he won't be needing them for a day or two."

"I wish we could get them all back to TC before the morning," Leah added her eyes anxiously sweeping the room.

Max's eyes followed hers in silent agreement.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't care if you think she's okay, and spare me your fucking amateur psychology Dex.  Don't ever send one of them to me again. Ever."

Max heard Alec's hard emphatic words as she approached the treatment cubicle.  

"Yeah, well I was busy and your fucking ribs aren't high propriety at the moment."

"And make sure you keep them the fuck away from Dale."  Some instinct stopped her in her tracks.

"I ain't stupid Alec. He was convulsing and he could still smell them.  He was babbling about Leah not smelling her scent on him."

"Why the fuck did you let them near him, you stupid prick."

"I was trying to stop him bleeding to death at the time and Tim was busy with Reuben. I thought he was too out of it to know the difference." Dex answered defensively.

"We aren't in Manticore now and they aren't all like those two bitches, you know."

"Just mind your own fucking business and tape my ribs."

Max stood in the hall clutching the clothes in front of her. What two bitches? What were they talking about?

"Hey Dex," she said as she went into the now silent room and put the clothes on the bed beside Alec. He was uptight and edgy again, so unlike the easy going Alec she was used to.

She watched as Dex worked and waited silently as Alec grunted in thanks and Dex left. 

Alec immediately pulled her back into his arms again just holding her and stroking her hair as she rested against him.  

"What are you thinking about Alec?" she finally asked into the silence the steady, familiar beat of his heart in her ear.

He didn't know what he was thinking, his thoughts were chaotic and jumbled, the comms unit was a constant drone in his ear and he hadn't slept for nearly twenty-four hours.

He didn't answer her immediately and when he did it was quiet and hesitant in her ear.

"I feel like crap Max." 

She knew immediately that he wasn't talking about his ribs, or their military situation, she didn't know what he was talking about but it wasn't either of those.

"So what will make you feel not like crap?" she asked finally not knowing what else to say to him.

Being back at TC with you  in our  bed, and not having to leave again until I've got nothing in my  head or senses but you.

Silently he rested his cheek on her head and stroked his fingers through her hair.  Her hands on his back were soothing and he could feel his edginess start to fade. He'd always hated the uncertainty and the waiting around before a battle, they all did. Neither did he like having his injured outside of TC exposed and vulnerable like this. Once the morning rolled around and he knew what he was up against he would feel a lot better.

Knowing that she was here to deal with the ordinaries was an incredible relief. He'd always known she would be good at it, and tonight she'd proven she was.  Tilting her chin up he bent to kiss her.  The boom in his earpiece made both of them jump and stopped the descent of his mouth towards hers.  It was so loud that Max could still hear it through his comms unit even though hers was turned off.  

He was already moving towards the main doors as Max turned her comms unit back on.  Not that she needed it to know they were under attack. She could hear already hear the sound of choppers and the blat, blat of gunfire before her earpiece activated.

"No, just Tav the rest of you to the windows and exterior exits," Alec ordered as he and Tav pulled their helmets back on and moved into the door cavity to survey what was happening outside.

"This is Tanner to Alpha one, we're taking heavy air and ground fire north west of the hospital.  We're holding on the ground but they've breeched our airspace, over."

"This is alpha one, to Tanner what is in the air.  I repeat, what is in air, over?"

Another huge explosion and Alec could see the flash of fire in the sky as it illuminated the darkness.  About half a mile away he estimated.

"Two less now but five black hawks left, all carrying full loads.  Two little birds on point.  They're military but they weren't expecting us to be here or they wouldn't have come at us so low, over."

"I think they could be looking for you Alec," Tanner grunted humorously.

Familiars Alec quickly realized. *Probably the same bastards as before.*

"All units securing the hospital take cover. Tyler and Zab bring your guys  in here, over."

"Who has them in sight now, over."

"This is Quinn six one we have a visual now they're headed for you alpha one, over."

"Roger that, do not kill anymore birds.  I repeat do not kill the birds, let em through to me, over."  

Max watched as the Units Alec had ordered inside piled through the doors into the already crowded ER.

"This is alpha one to all units in the hospital north east grid.  Listen up.  There are five Black hawks and two little birds, at least eighty men. The hospital car park is the target. If they can they'll blast the shit out of us from the air while they rope them down.  Nobody makes it to our ground from a rope. If they want to unload those fuckers in our territory then they have to land. I want those choppers. I repeat I want those choppers.  What we don't seize doesn't leave our airspace alive, over."

"Right," he said assessing the soldiers he had in front of him. How many good pilots have we got besides Tav?"  Max watched two males push there way to the front. 

"Okay there are seven choppers we need another four not so good pilots. 

Three of her females made their way through the press. 

Alec motioned them over to the others.

"Okay, only one not so good pilot then," he asked.

As the last male joined their little group they could already hear the blat, blat of gunfire outside and the approaching noise of the choppers.

"This is alpha one to all units we're coming out now and we'll take the south east of the car park. Matt and Leon your units take east west and the rest of you just track the ropes, over."

"Max, we've put a Red Cross sign up and they can see it from the air. It won't stop them firing on the building but it may make them think twice before shelling it.  Keep everybody away from the windows and when Todd comes out with Reuben he'll monitor screens and comms.  In the meantime I'll leave Mezo to do it."  Her glance swept the ER Admin Island where their techies were fine-tuning the comms equipment she and Tav had bought with them.  

"Its highly unlikely any of them will get through us, but if they do then there are enough of us already spread throughout the hospital to hold the building."

Max's eyes followed his as they assessed her females now back in full combat gear and waiting for orders. "There are only two floors you can access from the car park. Leah take your unit and secure all entrances at ground level.  Kat your females will secure this floor. The rest of Dales males to the roof and lockdown that helipad.  

The energy in the room was electric and the heavy cloying smell of testosterone reassuring as Max's gaze moved over their soldiers once again in full body armour down to goggles over their helmets waiting patiently for Alec as he gave last minute instructions to Mezo.  She didn't recognise the soldier who stopped in front of her until she heard his voice.

"Max, do you know Karen she's one of Dale's females?"  Max nodded her eyes curiously trying to find Tav's behind his goggles.  

"Yeah, well Reub's been fighting for her." 

As Max watched him move back to the door she remembered hearing Biggs complaint that Tav had 'no fucking respect for anybodies rules but his own.'

The sound of gunfire was right outside now and the loud sinister flack, flack noise of the choppers rotor blades invaded the ER. The building shook as a shell exploded in the car park. Unhitching her own M16 from her shoulder Max's eyes briefly caught Alec's before he pulled his helmet back on. He moved quickly through his men and into the door well. Keeping her eyes on his black clad back for as long as he was visible she waited until the last of his men had cleared the door space. With their guns ready she and two of her females secured the door well. 

TBC

Thank you for your patience. I know I am slow to update this.  The story is actually finished and you can find it and a couple of complimentary fics at agora.  I can't post the addy here but if you go to FIND at the top of the page and type in Zacbele it will bring up my a list of my data and agora's addy is there under my home page. I will try and get the chapters up faster in future.  Thanks for your support and all your reviews they are very encouraging.


	28. Chapter 28

Sorry about the wait people I will be quicker with the next chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Eight  

"This is where we lost em Sir." 

Anderson's eyes flicked to the two red dots on the screen.

"And that's the footage from their Cams on the far screens."   

Anderson's eyes weren't on the camera feed from his two dead birds but on the screens still running feed from the seven birds he still had in the air.  

"Just keep em flying high and out of range. One thing is for fucking sure these guys are soldiers and they know what there doing." 

He watched the screens as his bird's camera's ranged over the scattered groups of men on the ground.  To the uninitiated eye they were just haphazard groups of men but Andersons trained eye recognized them for what they were.  Strategically positioned professionals forming a line of defence across his fucking ground.  *What the fuck was going on.*

"What the fuck do you incompetent imbeciles think you're doing?"  White demanded furiously, storming into the Comms room his angry contemptuous eyes raking Anderson and his men.

"Your fucking buffoons just got thirty of my men blown to fuck from a chopper that never even got to land, by a bunch of rag tag animals.  Angrily he grabbed the larger Anderson by his arm and spun him around.  The barrel of Anderson's gun hard in his crotch White heard the metallic clicks of the mechanisms of several other guns as they engaged.

"Listen up, you undisciplined little fuck.  I don't care which spook agency you're from.  You put your fucking hands on me again and you'll be shrieking your bullshit in a much higher octave.  Do you get my drift?" the major spat jamming his gun harder into White's balls. 

Seething, White flicked his stony gaze off him and around the room, snorting in disgust.  His useless fucks hadn't even managed to clear their holsters, but all of this stupid pricks men now had their guns in their hands. His hard eyes locked with the Major's and he moved away in disgust.

"Just for the record my soldiers aren't buffoons they're the best soldiers you'll ever see in your fucking lifetime, and those 'rag tag fucking animals' as you called them, are also soldiers, a fact that you fucking well omitted to tell my Lieutenant, and that is why MY pilots as well as your men were fucking well killed."  

Now YOU can tell ME what the fuck is going on or you and these fucks are going straight to my brig." The major eyed Whites men with the same disgust White had. 

"Now I have video footage from the cameras on my birds, that puts fully kitted out soldiers, in a defensive pattern over all the ground they've just flown over. MY ground. So don't bother to give me that shit about a black market operation." 

"You know all you need to know.  All I require from you is that you land my men in that car park without getting any more of them killed. Surely your elite fucking soldiers can accomplish that small task." White scoffed scornfully moving closer to the screens.  

"Where is this fucking footage, anyway? Play it back? he demanded.

"Yeah, so," White scoffed, as it played out. "You've got under a hundred men standing around dressed like soldiers, big fucking deal. You land my men and they'll take care of them, nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about," he finished disdainfully.

"Listen you arrogant little prick," Anderson ground out trying very hard to hold onto his temper.  "If my lieutenant tells me correctly, your men, have already tangled with them twice today and come out the losers.  You've already lost men and your own birds, now you may not give a fuck about your men but I do about MINE."

"Those men down there are not just dressed like soldiers, they are soldiers, and I know that because they managed to blow two of my best crews out of the fucking sky. Now I don't know what your deal is, but I'm bringing MY birds and MY men home until I know what the fuck is happening out there, and you can go to hell.  

Glaring contemptuously at his back White pushed the speed dial on his cell phone and spoke a few quiet words.  Turning back he proffered the phone to the furious faced Major. He stood there indifferently while the Major listened.

"But Sir I …"

"Yes Sir," Anderson snapped finally, his cold eyes once more on White.  Shoving the phone at White he ignored his narrow eyed arrogance and turned back to the screens." 

"Sigma four one to Anderson. We have a visual on the target sir. It has a red cross on it sir, over"

"Yeah, Yeah I can see it on cams it's a fucking hospital."  "Harbourlights Hospital," he read out loud as the cameras in the birds panned over the scene. "What the fuck is going on?"   A blast of fire from Sigma four's guns riveted his eyes to the screen.

"Cease fire," he roared into his headpiece. "What the fuck are you doing, sigma four one, over."

"Do not fire on the hospital, I repeat do not fire on the hospital, over."

"Sir these fucks are firing on it.  I no longer have control of my birds guns, sigma four one, over."

Anderson's eyes a mixture or rage and contempt raked White before turning in fury back to the screens, now showing all of the birds with guns blazing at the hospital buildings and car park.

"This is Anderson to all birds just rope the fuckers down. Leave them and come home, over," he spat in fury.  

"Roger that sir, over."

What the fuck was happening?  Since when did a United States General disregard local command and order fire on a civilian hospital in one of its own cities?  Who was this little fuck?  And who the hell had soldiers in his grid that he knew nothing about?

"Run this pricks ID through to Tremaine and tell him to send me anything he can find on him?" he said quietly to his lieutenant.  He'd soon have this little bastard's number, what Tremaine couldn't find out wasn't worth knowing.  

"This is Sigma four three, Sir, these useless pricks can't slide down a fucking rop… You hit me again you fuck and I'll ride this bird straight into the ground."  

"What's happening Sigma four three?" Anderson barked, fearing he knew exactly what was happening.  His gun again on White as his men knock Whites to the floor and put guns to the back of their heads.   

Anderson watched in admiration as White threw two of his men across the room.  Strong for a little guy he thought as he calmly shot out Whites kneecap.  Tough too he admired, as White kept coming at him, and he shot out the other kneecap. He turned quickly back to the screens as his lieutenant kicked White forward, onto his face and planted his boot across the back of his neck.

"They have a gun to Don's head, Sir, they want me to land.  I've told them its fucking suicide. That car park is locked tight.  We land there we're all fucked."  

Anderson watched the screens as the birds cams panned over the car park. All the bird's guns were now spraying the car park with a continuous fire hail of fire. *Only seasoned soldiers could hold their ground under fire like that.* He could see a few soldiers positioned around both the hospital and the perimeter of the car park. Like his pilot he knew that that these were the one's he was supposed to see.  His gut told him there were more concealed and just waiting for his birds to land. 

He frowned uneasily his eyes flicking between the screens running the feed from each bird's camera.  He zeroed in on one of the screens showing bullets from the birds little guns ploughing across the car park towards the hospital, churning up the ground in front of soldiers rapidly exiting through the hospitals main doors.  The camera showed them blurring faster than it was possible to move.

"Great now the fucking camera decides to crap out," he spat in disgust.

Anderson knowing that by now all his co pilots would have guns to their heads, made one of the quick decisions that had seen him and his men safely out of a lot of tight spots.  He'd just have to hope for the sake of his men that Whites bastards were better soldiers than those waiting on the ground for them.

"Anderson to all birds land em.  I repeat this is Anderson to all birds land your birds, over."  

"I don't give a fuck which general you're fucking White. If anybody harms one hair on any of my boys head I'm gonna cut your balls off and make you fucking eat them," he said conversationally.  Not even bothering to turn and look at White lying in a pool of his own blood with a knee on his neck and a gun to the back of his head.

"Sir, I've slowed that fucked up tape down so you can see them as they came out the doors, look."

Anderson watched the adjusted tape replaying the soldiers exiting the hospital.  One fell and two soldiers behind him slung their weapons over their backs and bent as one to grab him under the armpits as they ran with him for cover.  Anderson with a clear view of their backs could clearly see the grenade launchers attached to both M16's. 

*He's got the firepower to blow them out of the air, even if I can get them up.* Ever the pragmatist Anderson resigned himself to the loss of his birds and turned his focus to getting his men home safely. He watched as the first of his Birds hovered vulnerably as the pilot prepared to set it down.

"They're only still alive cause he wants them on the ground, Sir."  His lieutenant's voice reflected the apprehension Anderson was feeling.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Whoever he is, he knows he's got better men than those fucks of White's and he wants our birds. John, get onto the police chief and get him to feed us their hover drone surveillance of the area where you lost the first two choppers.  I want a closer look at those soldiers."

"Yes, Sir."

"And John, get the rest of Sigma four ready to fly and get me a direct line to General Quinn, now."

His lieutenant was already on the phone before he'd finished talking.

"This is Anderson just sit tight guys, this is not our fight, over."  

As he said it he knew it was redundant. Whites bastards weren't about to let them fly off without them, but he wanted his men to hear his voice and know they weren't on their own.

"You're so fucked Anderson." White ground out, before the knee on his neck moved down cutting off his speech.

"Get the Sarg for me, John, will ya?"  Anderson asked.

Stepping over White his face not even registering interest, the huge, heavily muscled, Sergeant snapped to attention. 

"Sir."

"Come and have a look at this Buzz."

"John, throw those fucks in the brig and take him to medical.  If he tries any more of that superman shit on you just put a bullet in his head.  I figure I'm probably due a pretty severe telling off anyway, so what the fuck," he shrugged indifferently.

One of the bird's camera captured a group of black clad, armoured covered, helmeted and goggled soldiers as the lead soldier raised his arm above his head and his gun spitting he blew out the lens. The screen that camera was running its feed through froze on the picture and Buzz whistled low and long as he grinned appreciatively at the image. "Fuck, I didn't think I'd ever see those sweet things again," he drawled.

"You know them Buzz? You can recognise them?" Anderson asked looking incredulously at the anonymous black clad figures on the screen.

"Oh yeah, I'll never forget that sign, or him," Buzz said.  His eyes assessing he scanned the other screens now showing three birds on the ground with men spewing from them.  

"Those are our birds." Alert now his eyes quickly moved over the screens.  "Fuck, tell me this ain't what I think it is?"  They're on our side, right?" he asked, gesturing at the screen holding the frozen image of the transgenic soldiers.

"Fraid not, no, Buzz.  I dunno what the fuck is going on but those assholes getting out of our choppers aren't our men, they belong to that fuck they just dragged out of here. But those are our crews piloting them?"

"Then we're in trouble."

"You don't ever want to tangle with these fuckers, they're the best fucking soldiers I ever saw on a battle field, you can't kill them they're as close to invincible as you'll ever see," 

"Him," he said his finger tapping the helmeted figure with his arm raised, " I never knew his name, his men called him Sir, and his officers by his serial no 494.   He was the best fucking officer I've ever served under," he added, unmindful of the fact he'd served under Anderson for the past ten years.  But they're our guys Sir, they're Special Ops what the fuck are we doing, going against our own guys?"

"I dunno yet, I've got Tremaine trying to find out what he can and the rest of Sigma four gearing up and ready to ride."

"You see that sign he's making, it's his call sign, they called it the alpha sign he uses it so his troops can identify him from wherever they are.

"His gaze back on the screens he watched their last little bird land between two of the larger black hawks.

"He's just been bidding his time, not wasting his men or his ammo until there're on the ground, just like they are now in a nice, fat, tasty huddle," Anderson said grimly.

All the screens reflected the flash of gunfire as it erupted simultaneously from around the perimeters of the car park.  Grimfaced they watched the familiars ineffectually spray the hospital building and the cars in the car park with return fire.

"Well it won't be a long fight anyway," Buzz snorted in disgust.  Anderson grunted in agreement 

"He only didn't kill em all in the air cause he wants the birds."

"Yeah," Anderson agreed.

"Like taking candy from a baby," Anderson said, as the familiars continued to drop. "For fuck sake don't they have any Officers?  Herded together like that they're sitting fucking ducks.  Just a few good snipers could have the lot of them in less than ten minutes. Grim lipped they watched one group of erratically firing familiars spray their own men with gunfire.

"Who sent these undisciplined, untrained fools against these guys and what they hell were they thinking?" 

Buzz grunted in disgusted agreement.

A car exploded under the onslaught of gunfire the flames spreading quickly from vehicle to vehicle. Anderson watched as transgenic soldiers came forward to cover the ordered unhurried retreat of those that had been taking cover behind the cars. They were well-trained, cool headed and well-disciplined, so much for his gamble that White's men had the balls to get his men out of this fiasco Anderson thought in disgust. 

"Whoever their Officer is, he might come out of this with nothing but that initial casualty."

"Lets fucking hope so," Buzz commented grimly.  Killing his men really pisses him off."

"Yeah," Anderson acknowledged in heartfelt empathy his thoughts on his pilots.

"This is Major Anderson to Sigma four, just hold your ground boys.  This isn't our fight do not engage with the troops on the ground.  I repeat do not engage, over."

"Roger that Major, we're just sitting it out sir, over."  

"Will he kill them Buzz?" 

"Depends on his orders, Sir." Buzz answered.  "He won't kill other soldiers unless he has to but as far as he's concerned they've fired on his men.  Buzz left it there but both men knew that unless they could pull a rabbit out of a hat their men were as good as dead.

"Sigma four six to Anderson, this gutless fuck wants me in the…"

The sound of a gunshot and fighting  brought the room to a stand still. 

"This is Major Anderson the Sigma four six, report over,"

"They've just shot Cole sir, the gun is now to my head, they want me in the air. They can get fucked…" The pilot's hard angry voice was cut off and the air went dead.

"Sigma four six report."

"Travis report."

They waited in silence. 

"They've probably only removed his earpiece. Obviously none of them can fly, they need him," Anderson finally said into the silence, knowing as well as the other men in the room that White's men in the birds had started to panic, and untrained men in panic often didn't do what was rational.

"If they make them lift off, then he'll kill them in the air, as far as he's concerned everybody behind a gun is his enemy, they're only still alive because he wants the birds. The only chance our guys have is if when he seizes the birds, they can convince him that they have nothing to do with that lot."  Buzz said

"Not much hope of that." Anderson's pushed down his sense of frustrated helplessness.

"Sir, I've had no luck getting the police superintendent for the hoverdrone surveillance, but I've rousted a uniform who seems to know what's going on, his name is Sergeant Biggs, and he reckons that there is some problem with the satellite the signals are relayed through. 

Buzz's head spun to him.  "Put him on speaker phone, let me hear his voice?"

"When do you think they'll be operational again?" the lieutenant asked. 

"Haven't the faintest fucking idea, but they're working on it now?" Biggs replied.

Smiling, thinking he might just have found that hatted rabbit, Buzz signalled for the phone. "Biggs, this is Sergeant Buzz Howl of Sigma four, and I need your help again." Buzz waited out the silence on the other end of the line.  
  
"We don't do the army's shit work anymore, Howl."  
  
"The guys in the Birds are ours. They don't want to be there, and they haven't fired on you. The men firing on you are not our men. They belong to some asshole called White we were ordered to transport them. We were told we were going after black marketers. Our guys tried to bail when they started firing on the hospital but they were hijacked. They're just waiting it out in their Birds. They haven't fired on you."  
  
"We know whose in those birds Howl, but what do you want me to do with your sob story? Your men are soldiers. You know the fucking rules."  
  
"The rules of engagement state that…"  
  
Biggs bitter laugh interrupted him, "Don't quote that bullshit at me, Buzz. The army never worried about the rules of fucking engagement when they deployed us."  
  
"Yeah, well from what I saw of your officers they were the sorriest, evilest collection of fuckers the army ever fielded, but the rest of the army ain't like them. Anyway, why the fuck would we fire on you deliberately we're on the same fucking side? They conned my brass with the black marketers bullshit. We don't know what the fuck is going on. We just want our boys out of there. My Major has ordered them to sit tight but those bastards in the cockpits with them are starting to panic." He waited in silence for Biggs to come back to him.  
  
"We aren't on the same fucking side Howl, not anymore. Two weeks you spent with us under extreme exposure and you still haven't twigged. I mean for fucks sake our girls carried your injured on their backs through seventy miles of fucking jungle. Biggs paused to see if Howl was making any connections, when he still didn't appear to be, he continued.  "I know you regular army grunts aren't recruited for your smarts, but I thought you must have figured it out by now.  We're Transgenics, Howl, if we were ever on the same side, we sure as hell aren't now."  
   
Astounded Buzz stood rooted to the spot, the phone clutched tight in his hand and blood pounding in his ears. "You, you can't be," he finally stuttered.  
  
"'Fraid so, you didn't really buy that shit Alec told you about vitamins and extra training did you.   
  


"Sir's, name is Alec?" Buzz asked befuddled. Trangenics, they're transgenics, kept repeating in his head.  
  
"Yeah, his name's Alec now. Look I'll tell him what you've told me and it'll be up to him." Biggs waited for his response.  
  
"I hope that you and your platoon don't end up staring down the barrels of our guns Buzz," he said finally into the silence. "Watch your back Howl."   
  
"Yeah, you to sweet thing," Buzz replied automatically, unthinkingly using the nickname his men had self mockingly given their baby faced saviours.  
  
The line disconnecting didn't register in his head as he stood there holding the phone, staring at the screen that held the frozen images.  
  
"I guess it isn't classified anymore Buzz?"  Anderson said taking the phone off him and hanging it up. So that's the Special Ops guys who got you out after that Tanzanistan fiasco? Which one carried Danny?"   
  
Buzz pointed in silence to Alec. Anderson stared at the figure on the screen.  He'd spent six months trying to find that guy and his men, just so he could shake their hands and thank them. Two hundred soldiers had returned from that disastrous screw up eighteen hundred hadn't. Those that had made it home had only done so because of those guys.  There hadn't been a day that had passed in the two years since, that Anderson hadn't given thanks that his son had been one of those who'd made it home.  
  


"I had Tremaine looking for them for six months and he couldn't turn up shit. No wonder, it was like they didn't exist, they didn't. Ring Tremaine back John, and tell him we're looking for any info he can get on trangenics, especially these ones. Buzz will give you the names and serials."  
  
Buzz's eyes went back to the screen. "Steve the guy who carried me, he's a few inches taller than them and he always stood here," he pointed behind Tav's shoulder. "He isn't there, neither is Kat who was smaller or Tania, or Ana," he said suddenly panicked as he realized all the figures on the screen where to large to be female.  
  
"Fuck those rumours about Units ordered to shoot tranny women and kids. They were killing these guys and their families, they were killing Kat and Tania and Ana." His shock was stark on his face. "I went to a fucking rally in support of hunting trannys down and killing them." He groaned rubbing his hand across his face. "This fucking country owes them for services rendered and we repay them by hunting them down like fucking animals."   
  
"Yeah," Anderson agreed decisively. 

"John cancel that call to General Quinn. Better to keep this under wraps until we know more about what's happening," he said his sideways glance locking with Buzz's.  
  
"Yeah, where did they take that fuck whose men these were?"   
  
"Medical."

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"I thought you had two shot out kneecaps?" Buzz asked as he closed the door.  
  
"I heal quickly," White answered indifferently, his eyes mocking as he continued to buttoned up his shirt."  
  
"You're not a transgenic too are you?" Buzz asked.  
  
"Do I look like one of those animals?" White snorted in disgust.  
  
"No, not really, you're too short and not a good enough soldier," Howl agreed. "But I had to ask. I don't want to get anything else wrong," he said cryptically, his gun already in his hand as White lunged for him.   
  
"How long will it take you to heal a bullet between the eyes?" he wondered out loud. Always thorough he aimed again and fired another four rounds into White's heart."  
  
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Max glanced quickly away from the car park to Todd as he came and stood beside her.

"Reub is stable that Ordinary Doc said the next twenty-four hours will tell," he responded to her unspoken question.

"Alec said you've got Comms until he's back?"

"I've got them."  he said tapping his headpiece.  "There isn't anything happening anywhere else to be monitored."  Keenly he scanned the action in the car park. 

"Whites elite enhanced super race don't appear to be doing very well. They might be kick ass at hand to hand but they sure ain't intellectually enhanced."

"Yeah," Todd agreed I was following it in the OR.  They just landed the birds right in the middle of us.  Alec was beside himself with glee.

"Yeah I heard them all laughing, Max said. What's happening now?"

"That status update Alec just called was to check everyone is in position they're getting ready to go for the birds. We killed everyone on the ground about five minutes ago.  The gunfire we can still hear are our own guys firing into the air to make the familiars think they've still got soldiers on the ground."

"Because their Officers are fuckwits the birds ended up all over the fucking car park and three of the surveillance cameras are sweeping the same area.  That area over there they can't see at all, the only bird that could have seen it would have had its camera disabled by now.  They'll be thinking that's where their soldiers are and until an officer does a voice status check they'll be none the wiser that every body is dead.  In the mean time we've had plenty of time to get into position.

Astounded Max scanned the car park.  Like the familiars she had thought the battle was still raging.

"There's now a team of four waiting to board each bird a pilot with each team just in case the crew on board manage to get it off the ground. They have to get across the open ground and into the birds so another four guys are on each bird to lay down cover fire when they make their run."

"Now of course we got that extra problem of Howls soldiers on each bird."  

"Yeah I heard all that Todd, who is Howl?  

"He's an ordinary soldier whose platoon we once served with."  

"Alec didn't say what he was going to do about that. What will happen about them?"

"Nothing, they haven't fired on us and they aren't here voluntarily.  Alec didn't say anything cause he didn't need to. Good soldiers don't kill other soldiers unless they have too," he explained remembering that most of this was new to her.

"This is alpha one, do not engage hand to hand. Go straight for the kill shot.  I repeat go straight for the kill shot.  Are you ready to go, over"

Max listened as all seven teams called in okay to go.

"This is alpha, one go now, I say again go now, over."  His flat calm voice was drowned out by the gunfire as she watched their black clad soldiers blur for the choppers.  It was impossible for her to pick Alec they all looked the same. 

"Alec and Tav are over there by the black hawk on the right." 

Max just caught them as their team blurred through the open door.

The cover fire had ceased and they listened for the closely space shots from each bird signalling the elimination of the familiars. 

Todd's grin widened as each team reported their bird secure and with no casualties "We got all fucking seven birds," Todd gloated.  "So much for Whites superior fucking race."

"This is alpha six six, to Alpha one, Reub made it out of surgery okay, over."

"Roger that Todd. Send those orderly's with two stretchers we've got two of Howls men with critical injuries, over."

Max's eyes swung to Todd's as the intermittent sound of gunshots resumed.  

"They're just making sure all the familiars are dead," he explained, before he turned and went back into the ER.

Max stood in the doorway her eyes following Alec as he made his way across to the group of men she assumed to be Howls. Dispassionately she watched as he returned their salute. Her eyes on him she waited until the shooting had stopped before she turned and went back into the ER.

TBC

I know there still isn't any smut but I just can't seem to find a place to put it at the moment but bear with there will be smut again!  So in the mean time in anticipation of promised smut please review me anyway.  Hee.


	29. Chapter 29 Rated r for Sexual Content

Chapter Twenty-Nine

 "Have you seen Max lately, Tav?"

Alec had been catching glimpses of her all morning but hadn't managed to catch up with her.  It was quiet at the moment and he needed to catch a couple of hours sleep and he wanted to make sure she got some as well.

"No, not for a while.  The last time I saw her she was talking to that ordinary female doctor."

"Where are we sleeping?"

"Second door on the left," Tav said jerking his head down the hall.

"Yeah, okay, tell her where I am when you see her, and wake me in a couple of hours, okay."

"Yeah."

It wasn't a huge space and it probably already had at least thirty bodies strewn in small groups across the floor. Scanning the room for where his unit was sleeping he picked his way between the rows of objects surrounding each group careful not to intrude into anyone's marked territory.

His unit was in the far corner and nudging Mark aside with his foot he lay down beside him.  He was used to catching sleep where he could, in much more uncomfortable circumstances than this, so he was asleep the minute he closed his eyes.

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She'd been avoiding him all afternoon and she knew it served no real purpose but seeing him so casually and automatically return the ordinary soldiers salutes had unsettled her, as had Todd's easy acceptance of the killing of the familiars after the battle.  It had bought home to her the differences between her and Alec, between her and all of them really.  

She may have been raised as a soldier for the first half of her life but she hadn't lived that life for ten years now, but Alec and Todd, all of them had.  What she'd realized while she'd watched the action in the car park and afterwards seeing Howls men's easy acknowledgement of Alec as an equal, was that he hadn't just been raised as a soldier, he was a soldier. It had started her thinking about a lot of things and specifically about what happened next. Their soldiers now had control within the phase one boundary so what was the next step of the plan? 

She'd always just assumed that they would integrate into the civilian population of Seattle how she wasn't sure now.  Alec and her had never talked about any of this, whenever she'd raised the issue of what happened afterwards he'd skirted around the subject and the many other pressing issues they had to resolve had always sidetracked them. Tav's reference to eliminating civilian resistance and the easy eradication of the familiars this afternoon had unnerved her. She was now wondering why Alec had always avoided discussing what happened next.

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She couldn't avoid him forever and she needed to sleep anyway. Opening the door she peered into the semi darkness scanning the groups of sleeping figures looking for Alec.  Picking her way around the strange collection of clothing and equipment surrounding each group, she found him in the far corner huddled beside Mark, looking cold and uncomfortable. 

She spotted a stack of blankets in the wall of objects surrounding the Unit opposite theirs.  Tyler's unit she realized as Tyler and two of his males sat up as she removed three blankets.  Surprised, clutching the blankets to her chest she met their stares with wary uncertainty.  

"I'm sorry guys, she didn't mean to wake you up she doesn't really understand about territory yet."  Alec said from behind her shoulder.

"That's okay, we figured that.  Take some more and put them over your side Alec," Tyler said gesturing to the blankets.

"Well at least we've got blankets now, Max," he whispered, as he dropped one on an appreciatively grinning Mark.  He lay down again and held his blanket open for her.  Wrapping herself in her blanket she gingerly squeezed herself between him and the wall.  He pulled her back against him and curled his body around her back, his lips on her ear. 

"Mark and I didn't fully wake up for you, Max, because you have our pack smell on you.  If you breech other males territory and you don't have their pack smell on you, then their instincts wake them up, because you could be a threat.  Tyler's unit would have given us the blankets if they'd been awake when we got here, but because they weren't we didn't take them, we never breech another males territory, it's considered very bad form."  *Plus for us it's dangerous.* 

"I'll find you somewhere more comfortable to sleep tonight," he promised.  Settling his cheek on her neck he was asleep again within minutes.

She had seen each unit's sleeping area marked out and had instinctively avoided straying into anyone's territory but she hadn't thought the blankets would matter. There was just still so much she didn't know and she didn't like the feeling of separation she felt from everybody else when she got things wrong, it undermined her confidence and made her feel insecure.   

Lying there beside Alec his chest rising rhythmically in sleep behind her back, she closed her eyes and tried to shut out the mixture of disturbing feelings and unease she'd had since the battle in the car park.

Her first waking awareness was that Alec's warmth that had surrounded her when she'd fallen asleep was gone, and she was now cold and uncomfortable.  Her next was that the warm body she'd instinctively moved towards didn't smell right. Startled she moved quickly away and sat up.  

Alec and Mark had already gone and Tav, Todd, and Jane now slept beside her. Yawning she stretched her stiff muscles, she must have been asleep for a while, but she was still tired. If they were going to be stuck at the hospital for a few more days her first priority was going to have to be to find somewhere more comfortable and preferably private to sleep.  She was three months pregnant now and needed a better sleep than a few of hours spent on the floor.

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When she saw Alec again he was standing at the foot of Steve's bed morosely staring at him and a sleeping Kat.  She watched from the hall as he moved the few steps to Reuben's bed.  Reuben hadn't been out of surgery for as long as Steve, but even to Max's untrained eye his colour was better. Max watched Alec's gaze swing between the two.  Obviously he felt the same she decided when his worried gaze flicked back to Steve again.

Her eyes moved on to Karen lying quietly beside Reuben, her blonde hair and fair skin a deep contrast to Reuben's dark hair and olive skin.  When she'd found Karen hovering anxiously at the foot of Reuben's bed and told her that he'd been fighting for her, her initial disbelief and then her slow smile of dawning delight had made Max think about Dale and Leah. Now watching Karen lovingly stroking Reuben's arm Max was again reminded of the similarities between her and Reuben and Dale and Leah. 

Despite the fact that Karen had absolutely no idea Reuben had been fighting for her there had still been a connection between them. Thoughtfully she remembered Alec saying that without exception, when given the choice between two males the woman unknowingly always chose the male who'd been fighting for her. Did that mean that there was definitely something happening at a deeper more primal instinctive level or was it just a manifestation of the fact that women could intuitively sense the males who cared for them. Her considering eyes flicked back to Alec.  *Whatever it was it was fascinating.*

Sensing her there Alec turned and before she could move away from the window his eyes caught hers. Solemnly she returned his gaze. Acknowledging the quirk of her lips as she turned, his quick responsive smile dropped away as he stared after her retreating back. *There was definitely something up with her.*  

"This is Tanner to Alec, we got Howl and his brass at the boundary checkpoint.  Said they've come for their men, over."

"Yeah roger that Tanner, I'll send them across.  His injured stay here, over."

"The brass wants to see you Alec."

"Tough, I've got no reason to see him Tanner, over."

He sensed Max behind him before she spoke. "I think you should see him Alec.  The more dialogue we have going with them the better chance we have of a peaceful resolution of things."  

"We have no chance of a peaceful resolution of anything, Max," he dismissed.  "They have nothing I want and seeing their brass now would only signal weakness.  They'd think that I was worried about being able to defend my territory." Before he'd finished talking his attention was already back on his earpiece and something Biggs was telling him.

"Manticore would have thought that it was weakness," she corrected her eyes steady on his.  "We aren't Manticore and while we can defend against them, why would we want to risk any of the lives off our own kind unless we have to.  What harm can talking to him do?"

"The civilians are your area the military is mine, Max.  I know what I'm doing," he dismissed impatiently.

The radio static in her ear she waited while he finished talking to Biggs.

 "Sometimes the civilian and the military overlap. Whatever the army launches at us will impact on the civilians as well as us. If we're ever expecting to live alongside them peacefully we'll need to consider them as well as ourselves.  I for one would like to see what he wants." 

She could tell his attention was back on the radio and he wasn't really listening to her and her anxiety and the feeling of restless unease she had grew.

"Tanner to Alec, this stroppy bastard has bought an ambulance for his injured men and he's quoting the Geneva fucking convention at me."  Tanner guffawed.

"No, his injured are staying here, over."

"Yeah, I've already told him that."

"Why Alec?" What harm can it do to let him have his men back, they're no threat to us," she snapped.  She knew this wasn't her area of expertise, and she wasn't really meaning to question his judgement but she needed some reassurance some sign that they still shared the common aim of as little bloodshed as possible.

Wearily he ran his fingers through his hair. 

"Because, Max, this hospital sits just behind our lines and everyone I have here is vulnerable.  Having his injured here with mine also gives him a vested interest in keeping this place safe.  He'll know he isn't getting his injured back, Max, and he wouldn't have been expecting his soldiers either. But he's their CO and it's his job to try and get them back."

"I know what I'm doing, Max, it would serve no purpose to meet with him, we have nothing to discuss.  If they want to find out what I'm up to they can find out the hard way." 

He glanced warily at her and she was again struck by an uncomfortable sense of distance and detachment from him. 

"I'd like to know what you're up too as well?" she asked, she could sense his discomfit and it added to her growing anxiety. 

"What does happen next, Alec, we've never really talked about it?  Tell me?"   She'd had enough of worrying about the unknown. At least if they talked about it she'd know if she actually had something to worry about.

She was looking at him with that look of distrust he hadn't seen since before her heat."  All to aware of the activity around him he glanced around in frustration, he didn't want to be discussing this in the middle of a gaggle of ordinaries.

"Yeah, we have, once we've consolidated and have complete control within the phase one boundary then we move onto phase two," he offered hoping it would suffice. 

Her expression was now a mixture of distrust and impatience, just as it had been prior to her heat, trying to ignore the cold feeling seeping into his heart he turned abruptly away.  

She knew that phase two was the moving of their front line of defence to the outskirts of the city, but that wasn't what she'd been talking about, and his defensive eyes told her that he knew that. 

She grabbed his arm as he turned away. "No, I don't mean that Alec, I mean now that we are actually here and have control within this boundary, what are we going to do about integrating with the civilians?  What are your plans for that? Or are you just going to finish them off with bullets like you did to the familiars?"  She knew she'd gone to far and immediately regretted her words.

"No." he answered coldly. "Unfortunately there are too many of them." 

He knew he was being an idiot, but the distrust and intolerance in her eyes had been an unpleasant shock, and her harsh reproachful words even more so. Bleakly he stared down at her his expression closed. The civilians were an ongoing dilemma, his training had taught him that civilians were always managed with force and intimidation, and before he'd lived in the ordinary world he hadn't thought to question there was any other way, but now…now, he just plain and simply didn't know what to do about them.

"I'm sorry Alec.  It was a stupid thing to say. I didn't mean it."  She didn't want that shadowed wariness back when he looked at her and she hated this blank empty eyed look he now had.  *Whatever it was he had planned it would be okay.*

"I'm sorry," she whispered again.  Her eyes contrite she held his gaze and tentatively moved closer putting her hand on his chest.  His body was stiff and unresponsive and she waited hoping he wouldn't rebuff her.

It was only when her hand touched his cheek that his numb feeling started to recede. *She was sorry she didn't mean it.*His eyes searching hers hoping that the new look she had in her eyes when she looked at him now, the one he loved, the one he'd started to take for granted, would be back.  She meet his eyes steadily the mistrust gone, and her eyes again full of the emotion that he hadn't realized had become so vital to him, until he'd felt the momentarily pain of its absence.

Her eyes fluttered in relief when his arms closed around her. "I've been worried about what's going to happen with the civilians, what exactly are we going to do now we have military control, Alec?  We've never really talked about it and I don't know what you or any of the others want, and I've just been realising that I'm not even really clear in my own mind about where I want to go from here, either," she burst out in a rush.

He didn't really want to talk about it here, but neither could he avoid it for much longer either.  Excepting the inevitable he smiled ruefully down at her.

"I um, I don't know either, Max.  I know what's required from a military standpoint, but we've never stuck around for the after party so I don't actually know what comes next.  I was hoping you were going to help me with that," he shrugged awkwardly. 

For a brief moment she thought he was kidding, but when his eyes slid uncomfortably off hers she realized he wasn't, he was deadly serious.  For three months he'd planned and strategised to get them this far, with no real idea about where they would go from here. 

Sometimes he astounded her.  When she thought about it, it made perfect sense, if it didn't fit within his training and his instincts didn't guide him, then he often didn't know what to do, she'd seen that time and time again when he'd first got out of Manticore.  He hadn't been avoiding discussing it because he had some Machiavellian plan for the civilians, but because he hadn't known what to do so he'd avoided doing anything.  A tactic he'd developed as a result of all the bad decisions he'd made when he had first come out of Maniticore.

*'Logan had remained a problem because Alec hadn't known what to do about him.  Know his strengths and know his weaknesses.'*  Kats words replayed through her mind.

Her eyes darted quickly back to his and she gazed at him in consternation.  *I don't know what we do next, either.*

"We'll figure it out," Her voice sounded hesitant even to her own ears. "We've got this far the rest should be easy," she ventured more certainly. 

She surveyed the ER from the secure circle of his arms. "I mean how hard can it be?" she asked, already feeling a lot more confident her sense of alienation gone and in its place the familiar feeling of protection and strength she always felt when he had his arms around her.  Between them they would figure it out.  

"Yeah we'll figure it out," he agreed with confidence. She would deal with the civilians and he would deal with the military.  Perfect as far as he was concerned.  Rubbing his cheek across the top of her head his resolute eyes swept the ER crowded with their soldiers.

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Cass felt a lot better, even a couple of hours sleep was better than nothing.  Nothing appeared to have changed since she'd been away.  Again she found herself hovering at the slat-covered window of the treatment room the transgenics were in, hoping that everything was also okay in there. She knew from Brian, who was allowed into their treatment room, that they were all off the critical list except for the two chest wounds.

Her glance swept over the peaceful angelic face of the blonde girl sleeping beside Reuben.  His colour looked good and that was always a positive sign.

Her eyes moved onto Kat propped on her elbow beside Steve. She knew Brian was worried about him he'd been nearly twenty-four hours out of surgery and didn't seem to be improving. Cass watched in sympathy as Kat's face crumpled and she started to sob despairingly as she stroked Steve's face.  

She hadn't realized the arterial bleed had regained consciousness until he lent over the red headed beauty lying beside him. Trailing long fingers across her cheek and down her neck he carefully slid his shoulder out from underneath her cheek, and sitting up he swung his injured leg to the edge of the bed.

What the hell Cass thought in alarm, automatically moving to the door.  *He could easily tear the internal stitches and start the bleed again.* Collecting herself she remembered that this was one of the ones that Dex had said was particularly paranoid about non-transgenic medical personnel. In a dilemma as to whether she should intervene anyway she watched anxiously as he swung his injured leg stiffly onto the floor. 

The look on his face was an almost comical mix of pain and surprise and she knew the surprise was because he'd just realized he was naked.  She waited hoping that might send him back to bed on his own, without pausing he stood awkwardly upright.  

Cass stopped just short of the door as the red head woke up. Her sleepy expression turning quickly from delight that he was conscious to alarm that he was on his feet.  Dex by this time had also glanced up from the patient he was working on.

"Get the fuck back into bed Dale, you'll pull out all my stitches." Cass heard him call in exasperation from across the room.

The red head was already up and with her shoulder against his chest and her hand on his stomach she urged him back to bed. Cass couldn't hear what was being said but the girl glanced over her shoulder at Steve and Kat, and Cass realized the arterial bleed had been headed for them. 

The one they called Todd was already patting a still sobbing Kat's back in comfort as he pulled a chair up to Steve's bed.

Cass could see that the girl had got Dale back into bed and she could tell by her angry little frown and the speed of her talk as she fussed with the bedding that Dale was being told off. Dale's rapt gaze followed her every movement until she moved close enough for him to grab.  She stopped mid scold and they stared raptly at each other.  Cupping her face with one hand he combed her hair back with the other. 

As Cass turned away, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him making room as she climbed back onto the bed with him. 

The more she saw of these transgenics and their interaction with each other the firmer her conviction that they were good people. They all seemed to have an instinctive culture of care for each other that her world could do well to emulate.  Making all the stuff she was hearing in the media about the threat they proposed to humanity a little hard to understand. 

Despite the male's distrust of medical people, they hadn't proposed any personal threat to her staff, apart from the aggressive Alec and even he'd been well controlled by Max, who barely came up to his shoulder.  It was hard to put them in the media frame of cold-blooded animalistic killers.

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Grimly Anderson surveyed the four hard faced transgenics ranged across the road an informal barrier blocking the path his ambulance needed to be on if he wanted to uplift his injured men.

Initially he'd come here thinking he could trade some sort of amnesty or safe passage in exchange for his men. But from the moment the arrogant Tanner and his men had stepped casually out into the road in front of them he'd had a bad feeling, 

When Tanner had indifferently told him his men were being sent out to him it had shocked the hell out him.  But as the recon birds he had sent up had relayed what they were seeing to him, and he had started to get a real understanding of the scale of this offensive he'd known exactly why his men were being sent out to him. 

Alec purely couldn't be bothered keeping them, and the sublime message to Anderson was that he considered him and his men of so little threat that giving them back to him was of little consequence.  As pissed as this made Anderson he couldn't help but admire the fact that not only was this Alec a good combat soldier he was an instinctive tactician as well.

When Anderson had demanded his critically injured be returned to him he'd known it was fruitless.  Alec was hold up in that hospital because he had injured in there.  If the positions had been reversed position he wouldn't have given him back his injured either.  *Tactical good sense.*  

Dispassionately his gaze fell on Tanner as he and Howl talked quietly.  He'd always known that the special ops guys had been  young, but how young had still been a shock. His eyes ranged over Tanner and the rest of his men he could see, there were more, he knew that, his instincts had always been good, its what made him a good soldier and his instinct for threat had been in overdrive ever since the baby faced, insolent Tanner's cool eyes had locked with his.

Tanner had evidently led the other unit that had extricated Buzz's men from the African fiasco.  Another damn good soldier Anderson acknowledged, watching Tanners alert eyes constantly moving over Anderson's vehicles full of soldiers banked down the road, the transgenics were casually strung across, their M16's at the ready.

He had at least two hundred men behind him and Tanner appeared to have ten. Uneasily Anderson cast his eyes to the buildings around him and into the shadows. There had been no direct threats made to him and his men, he had merely been told that this was Transgenic territory and he could not enter.  His request to see their CO had been declined. 

"Nah, he don't wanna see ya.  Go home." Had been Tanner's indolent reply, and Anderson had fought the urge to tell him to stand up straight and not to speak to his elders so disrespectfully. 

The only sensible thing left for him to do was take his men, and go back to his base. He needed to look at the video surveillance his birds had collected and see what Intel Tremaine had managed to unearth about these transgenics. 

Still it was a shame he'd really wanted to meet Alec, and his nose for trouble had already told him if he didn't meet him today,  then the circumstances when they did meet would probably be to neither of their liking.

He watched his liberated men climb into one of his vehicles, they looked none the worst for wear a few bruises and cuts but nothing serious. Striding over to Tanner he extended his hand and waited for him to take it. Tanner looked insolently down at his hand and then up to his eyes.

"I don't hold hands with other boys, you aren't my flavour," Mockingly he returned Anderson's steadfast stare.

.

"I've always wanted to shake the hands of the special Ops soldiers responsible for the Tanzanistan extraction.  That was damn fine soldiering,"  

Tanner ran a rude eye back down to his extended hand and up to his eyes again.  Anderson remained there with his hand extended and his eyes unwavering on his.  Finally Tanner extended his hand and shook it.  Anderson snapped into a salute and Tanner returned it automatically and unthinkingly. Anderson had to suppress a smile at the kids pissed of expression when he realized what he'd done. *So well trained their discipline is automatic, but still little more than kids. A fucking dangerous combination if not properly controlled.*

"What do you think?"  Anderson asked as they drove away. Buzz's grim faced silence confirmed what Anderson already suspected.

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Max leant exhaustedly back in her chair, she was absolutely shattered.  She glanced across at Alec who looked even more exhausted than she was. It was early evening and she'd been on her feet for nearly forty-eight hours now with only a few hours sleep, and she knew Alec had had even less. They hadn't stopped all day.  The logistics of sorting everything out were phenomenal, but between them she didn't think they'd done to badly. 

Up until now Alec's plan had been untested strategy, but now that they were actually doing it, now that they were actually on their way to creating a free, safe transgenic controlled zone it was hard not be overwhelmed. She'd thought the sheer scale of the military effort daunting enough but she was coming to realize that the other ancillary things were just as important if not more so. 

The military stuff Alec and Tav had handled and she'd handled the civilians and all the related issues that had arisen. Some things they'd had to concur on, and for the most part they'd worked well together, and when they'd disagreed they had managed to sort it out. However she knew that today they'd only scratched the surface of what needed to be done.  

Seattle didn't really know they were here yet. Sure their soldiers where now manning checkpoints and police stations but Seattle was used to that, there had always been soldiers all over the city and theirs looked no different to those before them.  This respite wouldn't last forever but while it did it provided much needed time to start to consolidate.  From what Max had managed to hear as she worked Alec was going to use the time to finish setting up the utility installations.  

Radio and TV stations they'd decided after much heated debate to leave alone for the moment. Alec had wanted to put their people in them straight away, but her instincts had told her to wait and see how things developed.  In the end he had agreed to leave it for the moment and revisit it once they had discussed it within their wider group.

That the civilian population didn't know they were here had been a surprising development and her instincts were telling her that it could be used  to their advantage.  She didn't know how yet, she needed to think about it, but the smoother things ran initially the better it had to be in the long term. The other hugely surprising thing is that the army, seemed for the moment to be letting them alone as well, it wouldn't last but it had bought them some more time to entrench themselves. 

Alec and Tav were planning something as well, she wasn't sure what but she'd heard some discussion about how long before they could move their injured and whether the time frames would tie in with whatever it was they were planning. She'd hadn't heard the rest because she'd been called away at that point. 

A combat unit that Biggs had sent to help a police team clear out a building being used as local headquarters by a gang off very nasty sounding criminals, had needed one of her support units. They'd discovered during the course of the operation, that the place was also being used as a holding pen for women and children being detained against their will, to be suppled as slave labour for the sex industry. 

She'd wanted to go and sort it out herself but there had been to many other things for her to deal with. The good news was that five of the rescued children were transgenic and were now safe in TC.  The police were evidently locating the ordinary women and children's families.

Alec groaned and flexed his stiff shoulders, leaning back in his chair he stretched his legs in front of him and closed his eyes in exhaustion. Max's studied his tired features the familiar angular planes of his face, her eyes roamed lingeringly down his body and she felt her nipples peak in desire for him. 

Frustrated, she remembered promising herself that she'd find somewhere more comfortable for them to sleep tonight, but she just hadn't had time yet.  She certainly wasn't going to spend an uncomfortable night on the floor. Slowly she stretched her tired muscles, her attention once again back on Alec.

He felt her move behind him and then her warm hands were on his shoulders massaging his stiff muscles.

"Oh god, that's good, Max." His deep sigh of appreciation made her smile. One of the things that always made it so easy to do anything for Alec, was that he never took what she did for him for granted, even the small things like this.

He groaned his approval when she moved to his neck. Working the tight muscles she looked down to where his hair curled cutely above his barcode and again felt another surge of desire hot and strong.  Bending down she teased his ear, tracing her tongue around the outer edge before dipping it inside.

"I want you Alec," she whispered, "Just you and me somewhere comfortable and private."

He was so tired he could hardly move but her warm breathy whisper in his ear had an immediate affect on his body.

"Yeah, me too, Max. Just keep doing that for a while and then I'll go and find somewhere," he murmured, rolling his shoulders his eyes closed in lethargic pleasure.

She could feel his tension start to ease and his body relax as she worked the kinks from his tight muscles.  He'd been quiet and still under her hands for a while and his breathing was now steady and she knew that despite his good intentions he would be asleep soon if she didn't move.

"You stay here and wait for me, Alec," she whispered into his ear.  "I'll find us some where and I'll come back and get you."  She kissed the warm skin beneath his ear, and he grunted in weary agreement.

Surprisingly it didn't take her long, in fact she'd only had to ask Tav and he'd told her about this apartment they'd discovered on the top floor of the hospital.  Nobody appeared to live there permanently although it did show signs of recent occupation.  Maybe used by the hospital staff to rest between shifts.  Smiling happily to herself she closed the door and went to get Alec.

Except he wasn't where she'd left him, grumpily she went in search of him.  He was shattered and he was going to get some sleep now no matter what else was going on, Tav and Todd were perfectly capable of handling things tonight.  When she found him, he was asleep beside Steve's bed, his head on his arm and his hand over Kats where it rested on Steve.  

He didn't even stir when she moved up beside him and stroked his hair, and neither did Kat, but Steve's eyes flickered open and fixed on her. Her breath caught in her throat Max watched them flutter shut before opening again and this time focusing on her. 

"Hey Max."  

His voice was croaky and weak but it was enough to wake Kat.  Max smiled in relieved empathy as a happy sobbing Kat stroked his face.

"You had us really worried, Steve." Alec said sitting up beside her, the relief in his voice undisguisable.

"Shh, Shh, its alright, Kat," Steve whispered croakily," laboriously concentrating on raising his hand.

"Reub how's Reub?"  He asked Alec, settling his hand on Kat's hair. 

"We're still waiting for him to regain consciousness but his was pretty bad too."

 "Shh, I'm okay, Kat, don't cry."

"Ordinary hospital?" He grimaced, answering his own question.  His eyes quickly swinging back to Kat his smile reassuring, he brushed her tears away with his fingers.

 "Yeah, and you've been out for a little over twenty four hours now.  Phase one went according to plan except we expanded the boundary a bit to include this hospital.  We lost Mike but so far no other deaths."

Steve's eyes fluttered closed again as Alec's hand closed around Max's.

"I'll send Dex over to check you out, try and get some sleep now and get your adrenalin stores back up."

She knew how much his worry about Steve had been weighing on him and she could feel his renewed energy as he pulled her out into the hall.

"Dex said Reub is doing fine and should be conscious by morning too." 

It was good to see some of the weight of worry gone from him.  

"Now how about I find us somewhere private to sleep so I can take you up on that irresistible proposition you made me." His eyes were teasing and full of heat as they roamed suggestively over her.

"I've found us somewhere," she grinned pulling him towards the lifts.  Tav knows where it is so you don't need to tell him where we'll be."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He had her backed against the door and was already kissing her as she fumbled to open it.  She giggled in happy anticipation, his hands encircled her waist and still kissing her he walked her backwards into the little apartment.

His lips left hers and his head went up with a jerk.  "No, not here Max, I'll find us somewhere else." He already had the door open as he grabbed her hand.

"Why, what's wrong with this place?" she asked, looking around her in bewilderment. 

"Come on, I'll find us someplace else?" he snapped, reaching again for the hand she'd pulled from his.

"There's nothing wrong with this place, Alec.  There IS nowhere else and this is where we're sleeping." Pulling him by the hand he'd reclaimed, she headed for the bedroom.

*The scent of the ordinary white coats was all over the place he could smell the one called Cass particularly strongly.* 

 "Its better than our own apartment," she ventured, mystified as she watched him gaze distastefully around him.  

"Yeah, but our apartment smells like us, not like them," he said with disdain.

Now he mentioned it she could smell ordinaries, but she could everywhere, to her they were a persistent background scent that she didn't even notice. *Obviously not the case for Alec.*  

"The smell of ordinaries has never bothered you before, Alec?"

Looking at him standing warily in the doorway she intuitively knew it had something to do with what he'd been talking to Dex about, something to do with his aversion to ordinary doctors.

"It'll smell like us and sex soon enough, Alec," she purred, her eyes hot and full of promise as she pulled him by his hand toward the bed.  It's either here or back on the floor with everybody else," she added as further inducement. 

His eyes darted warily around the room before they touched hers again, and she realized with amazement that he really would prefer the shared floor to sleeping here.

"The floors too uncomfortable for me now, Alec," she added quietly. 

Her hand on the side of his face she turned him to her. "It'll be alright," she whispered soothingly, not understanding why but intuitively knowing he needed to be soothed.  "The only smell in here will soon be ours," she murmured seductively, pushing his shirt up his body and pulling it over his head.  "Just concentrate on me and my scent." She pulled his head down to her as she fumbled with his belt with her other hand.

She had all of his clothes off and most of hers but the eager enthusiasm he usually had wasn't there. Sitting up from the prone position she'd pushed him into, he pulled her still partly clothed body down to him and buried his face in her neck.

"You smell so good, Max, you always smell good."  

"Hmm so do you," she breathed inhaling his clean musky scent as she nuzzled his ear. He lay quietly against her his breath warm on her neck as she stroked his hair. 

"Why don't you like ordinary doctor's Alec," she asked finally.

"Same reasons you don't." She could feel his lips moving soft and warm against her neck when he finally answered. 

"But you're scared of them, Alec," she said quietly.  "I'm not."

He didn't answer her so she continued to stroke his hair. "I love you Alec," she said not knowing what else to say when she felt his tears on her neck.  

His arms around her tightened and he settled his cheek into the curve of her shoulder and she felt the murmur of his lips on her neck.

"I don't ever want to talk about it Max, ever. You deal with them and everything will be fine.  We'll be back in TC in a few days anyway." 

"Yeah," she agreed. "I'll deal with them."  

If he didn't want to talk about it then he didn't have too.  She knew from her own experience that there were some wounds that went so deep that they were best left alone, and if this was one of his, then so be it.  Blinking back her tears before they could fall she tightened her arms around him.

His eyes fluttered closed as she stroked her fingers across his barcode and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. When she touched him like this it made him feel as close to her as he felt when he was buried deep inside her. The smell of the ordinary medics was still in the room but she'd been right their own smell was stronger now.  

He nuzzled his nose into the warm tender spot just behind her ear and her sweet heady scent filled his senses, chasing everything else away until she was the only thought in his head. Pulling back from her his eyes roamed her face, her long sweeping lashes brushed her cheek and he could see the beginning of tears glistening in the corner of her eyes.  

"Don't cry Max," he said thickly. "I can't bear to see you cry and not for me.  Not now, when I'm the happiest, that I've ever been, in my life."

"Yeah, I am too," she agreed huskily. "Having you and the baby, and being back with my own kind, has made everything up until now worthwhile."  

She was so beautiful, and now her face also had an inner glow of contentment and happiness that he knew was there because she was happy with him.  Every time he made her giggle and smile he knew he was doing things right and it did make him feel that everything to get to this point had been worth enduring.

He'd dreamed about being like this with her for so long, being able to tell her he loved her and knowing she loved him.  He looked down into upturned face, her tears were gone and her eyes were content and trusting as she smiled serenely at him. 

His heart full and content his palm cupping her cheek he stroked her hair away from her temple." I love you too, Max."  *It wasn't even hard to say.*

"Yeah, I know," she whispered rubbing the pad of her finger across the surprising softness of his lower lip.

"You know." His uncertain frown made her smile.  

"Yeah."  "I've sort of known since my heat. I knew by the way you touched me, and kissed me," she said softly, lost in the green gold depths of his eyes. "But it just took me a while to understand," she whispered.

"How do you know that I love you?" Tucking his hair behind his ear, her heart in her eyes she waited for him to answer. She watched him think about it the emotion churning in his eyes as they roamed her face.

"The same way, Max, by the way you touch me and by the sound you make when I touch you," His voice was husky and deep and a stab of fierce longing sliced through her.   

"Yeah, that would give it away," she whispered, still caught in the pull of his eyes. 

"But also by the way you treat me now too." Holding her eyes with his he stoked his thumb along her delicate jawbone and touched his nose gently to hers. "I like it, it makes me feel like you care about me." he added his voice warm and low.

Despite what was happening in the outside world, here with Alec everything was perfect.  Not only had he told her he loved her but he'd accepted that she loved him.  She was getting it right.  Unable to contain her happiness she grinned her pleasure. 

Powerless to curb is own grin he dipped his head and nuzzled her ear his breathe warm and deliciously tickling on her neck.

She giggled that deep throaty sound full of pleasure and promise that always grabbed him low in his gut.

"I love it when you giggle Max." His kissed little nibbling bites along her neck.

"What, I don't giggle." she spluttered.  "I laugh," she said indignantly.

Her affronted dignity made him smile.

"Hmm, but I like your giggle much better," he whispered huskily, trailing his tongue tantalizingly around the arch of her ear.  "Its so sexy," he breathed his tongue moving sensuously in and out of her ear.  

"Mmm," her eyes fluttered languidly, and her hand on the side of his face she held his mouth on her.

"You only ever giggle for me," he murmured, his tongue now laving the sensitive join behind her ear, "and its usually when I've made love to you so long, and so well, that giggles are the only things left in your head." 

His sheer arrogance made her laugh again.  

"See, giggling, and you only ever do it for me."

"Yeah," she agreed, "that's because," she pulled his head quickly down so she could reach his ear. "You're the only one who's ever made love to me, so," she dipped her tongue behind his ear, "So, comically," she giggled.

Her warm breathe and the vibration in his ear from her renewed giggling was tickling him. 

"You giggle to," she said triumphantly hearing his deep, throaty, spine tingling sound.  She loved it when he laughed like that it was only ever when he was relaxed and playful like this, and only ever when they were alone like this.

"I don't," he denied.  His lips were on her ear again and his deep voice sent tickling vibrations through her making her shiver with delicious anticipation.  Kissing his way across her cheek he teased her lips, rubbing his softly back and forth across hers.  Her eyes drifted languidly shut as she inhaled his warm breath.  

"Max," he murmured his breath mixing with hers, before his mouth finally claimed hers and she was aware of nothing but Alec and the pleasure of his mouth on hers.

When he finally broke the kiss to trail his lips across the downy softness of her cheek, her eyes fluttered languorously open and he could see the flush of heat across her cheeks and the pulse point that throbbed erratically at the base of her throat.  He was barely touching her and she was aroused and already wanting him.  He loved that about her.

"What do you want me to do, Max?" he asked softly, stroking his thumb across the curve of her cheek and down the side of her face. She made that deep satisfied feline sound of pleasure that she made low in her throat, and moved her cheek against the caress of his thumb her eyes dreamy and content as her eyelids flickered. 

In one fluid movement he rolled to his side and guided her down until she was flat on her back beside him, he bent his head to her and she could feel the shiver of his warm breathe against the vulnerable column of her throat.  Touching his lips to the throbbing beat of her pulse he closed his eyes in pleasure when she whispered his name, her voice soft with yearning.

"What Max?" he whispered again, kissing along the same path his thumb had taken.  The deep rumble of his voice sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.

Her fingers curved around the nape of his neck she pulled his head back down her lips seeking his. 

The plunge of her tongue in his mouth was a sweet and welcome intrusion and it sent another rush of blood to his already engorged groin. Her tongue explored as she deepened the kiss probing and seeking all his sensitive nerves. When he had to finally break the kiss to breath she pulled him impatiently back down to her. 

His finger on her lips halted her.  "What do you want me to do, Max?" he asked again his eyes heavy on her.

Her eyes roamed his strong, beautiful face, and his consuming, hungry, possessive expression made her ache with longing.  Her mind flashed back to another time when that same expression had made her feel like this. 

"The same thing I wanted you to do when I named you," she whispered back, her enthralled eyes liquid with anticipation.

Surprised, he searched her upturned face.  He thought back to when she'd named him, to when she had made him like everybody else, a person and not just a number. That was when he'd felt the first fierce surge of desire for her. With a small, satisfied half smile he remembered the look that had fleetingly passed through her eyes, the look he'd dismissed as just his own wishful thinking.

"Did you want me to do this, Max?" Yeah, she admitted silently as his mouth opened over hers, his tongue probing the sweet seductive warmth of hers. The taste of him and the heady male scent so uniquely Alec invaded her senses as he moved his mouth over hers, her eyelids fluttered closed and she gave herself up to the irresistible hunger of his kiss. 

He gazed lingeringly down her body from her lush, rounded, lace-covered breasts down to the little triangle of black lace sitting tantalizingly just below the curve of her stomach, she looked so sexy as she lay there watching him look at her.  Smiling brazenly she parted her legs in wanton invitation. 

She watched him swallow and his eyes flicked quickly back to hers before they stroked back down her body again. Her eyes closed lazily and her lips parted as he cupped her satin covered mound and she lifted her hips into his hand

"Did you want this too, Max?" he asked his voice raw, his face intense and rapt as he looked from her flushed, heated face down her arched body to where she moved wantonly against his hand.

"Yeah, she breathed, lifting her hips as he slid her panties down her legs.

"I wanted it to," he whispered silkily, his hand sliding across her stomach and around her back as she turned into him.  

"Sometimes I had to call the guard early-" he slid his other arm under her and she could feel his hot breath on her neck.  "cause I wanted you so bad I was afraid you'd guess.-" He undid her bra and turning her onto her back he slid the straps down his eyes following his hands as he pulled it off. 

She waited until his eyes were back on hers again, "I did, Alec, but I was scared," she whispered, remembering how intent his eyes had been on her whenever he though he was unobserved. "You scared me, you were so intense and I was scared about how you made me feel and I…I didn't want to find anything like that in Manticore, I…"

"It doesn't matter Max," he interrupted, his hand on her stomach his fingers splayed as he enclosed it. "You're mine now and that's what matters, I don't care about before," he murmured against her lips his breath mingling with hers.  "Just now."

Her lips opened under his and her tongue invaded his mouth, her fingers moving through his hair as her mouth cradled his, her tongue luring his deeper into the richness of her kiss.  When she was kissing him nothing else mattered, there were no empty places in his heart, no bad memories, nothing, just her and the pleasure of her mouth on his.

When he finally released her mouth they were both breathing heavily.  When he closed his hand around her breast he could feel the erratic beating of her heart. His face absorbed he traced her engorged nipple with his finger.  Her voluptuous sigh of pleasure brought his heavy lidded eyes to hers and desire for him burned through her body.

She whimpered as he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, her eyes closed involuntarily and she squirmed as he moved his thumb across its swollen tip.  When he bent his head and his tongue touched the engorged bud she moaned and arched up into his mouth. By the time he turned his attention to her other breast her head was moving restlessly from side to side and her hand was stroking the side of his face as he held her breast and suckled her.  The soft needy sounds she made further fired his desire for her. 

Max felt the trail of sensation his fingers left as they stroked across the sensitised skin of her belly. Her eyes meshed with his and excitement mixed with eager anticipation when she saw her own wild hunger reflected back from the heat of his eyes. 

He reached down between her legs to find her hot and eager and waiting for him, and she arched up as he slid a long finger inside her and moaned low and long when sensation radiated from where he touched her.  

Alec swallowed and his heated glance roamed lingeringly down her body. *So beautiful.* "Don't close your eyes," he whispered hoarsely as she thrashed under his hand.  

Struggling to keep her eyes open she tried to focus on him. He could feel her contracting around his finger as he stoked her clit with his thumb and moved his finger inside her.  

Her eyes were glazed and her throaty, "please Alec," was lost in his mouth as he sealed his lips over hers and thrust his tongue into her mouth. She sent her tongue to meet his and whimpered incoherently as the thrust of his tongue mirrored the movement of his finger in her body.

When he broke their kiss and his fingers left her hot warmth, her moan of disappointment quickly turned to a strangled sigh of anticipation when she felt him start to move down her body.  She opened her legs and closed her eyes in bliss when she felt his mouth on her inner thigh and as he licked and sucked a path along her heated skin, once again she thanked god for her heat.

His hands on her knees he spread her wide as he continued to take little nibbling bites along her thigh moving towards her eager heat. Her breathy whisper of his name ignited his need to taste her and made him want to hear more of her cries.  His tongue touched her wet warmth and he licked until he reached her swollen bud.  

She moaned and wiggled her total focus on Alec, his mouth on her and what his talented tongue was doing to her body. He kept licking and flicking his tongue across her swollen flesh as she bucked under him, her moans were continuous now small, little breaths of sound as her body started to quiver and her muscles clench.  

Her legs came together trapping him and her taste and scent urged him on. He stopped his gentle lapping and took her clit gently between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue, he felt her start to spasm and buck as he tried to hold her steady the sound of his name was now a long moan on her lips as she trembled her release. Changing his rhythm back to long slow gentle licks her moans became whimpers and her body relaxed under him. 

"Alec, she whispered her hand on his shoulder urged him up.

Moving quickly over her he rolled her beneath him and she sighed in pleasure when she felt the warm, familiar weight of his hard body pinning her to the bed and the welcome pressure of his erection as it throbbed against the softness of her abdomen. 

Taking hold of himself he groaned blissfully as he slid slowly into her and grunted in satisfaction when she hastily wrapped her legs around him and pulled him down until he was buried deep.  He buried his face in her neck and savoured the heady pleasure of just being inside her, he could still feel the little tremors from her orgasm as she clenched around him. 

Her hand in his hair she pulled his head up from her neck and searched frantically for his mouth. Clinging to him she kissed him hot and hard her tongue swirling in his mouth.  He stroked slowly in and out of her just savouring her warm heat and the feel of her hot, wet, and tight as she clenched around him milking him until he was mindless with sensation. 

Her hands roamed his back leaving a trail of heat on his skin, her soft pliant body underneath him and her sound a continuous pleasure in his ear was driving him wild pushing him over the edge of control.

"Faster Alec."  She gasped into his ear.  She groaned in appreciation when his tempo immediately quickened and he drove inside her until his thick hard length pounding into her body was her only awareness.  Trying to bring him closer, deeper, she tightened her legs around him and pushed up harder.  She was immediately rewarded with a change in pace that made her gasp as he continued to pound into her.

"Deeper," she moaned clinging to him as her body started to spasm and her climax began to shudder through her.  Her interior muscles clenched, and spasmed around him and he continued to power as deeply into her as he could reach.  His head reared back and his low visceral grunt brought her eyes to his face, she felt him tense and his feral eyes riveted on hers just at that moment when his body shuddered into his climax and he surged wet and hot into her.  

Leaning on his hands above her his breathing harsh and laboured he struggled to focus on her, when he did her eyes were closed and she had a blissful, contented, satisfied grin on her face. Rolling onto his back he lay panting beside her when she turned her head to look at him he gazed back at her their eyes locked as his breathing evened out.

Rolling to his side he bent over her his head supported by his hand.  His hand under her chin he turned her to him kissing her lightly, her hand immediately went to his neck and she held him steady as she deepened the kiss. Releasing his mouth she lay beside him smiling softly to herself.  

"What are you thinking about Max," he asked, tracing her lip with his tongue.

"About the baby."

"What about it."  Curious now he stopped nuzzling her ear and looked at her.  

"We'll be able to feel it moving soon," she said softly turning her head to him.   

"It's still very small," he said doubtfully, his eyes following his hand to her stomach.

Pushing the sheet down she looked down her body at her stomach.  "Yeah, I was worried about that too, but Cass is a gynaecologist and she examined me and said everything is fine.  It's growing at a normal rate and I will start getting noticeably bigger from now on."

He was scowling from the moment she said the ordinary doctors name. "She's okay Alec, I like her, and she is a specialist in babies, she knows what she's doing.  You know I'd never put the baby at risk."

"She's going to do an ultra sound scan for us tomorrow to check that everything is fine and we'll be able to see it.  That's a picture of the baby taken with sound waves," she explained ignoring his increasing scowl. 

"I know what it is, Max. I read all those books you bought home too, but it said they usually do that at four months not three."

"Yeah, well I might not get the chance again so I'm having it now." Her voice was quiet and her eyes left his to look down her body again."  Frowning he scanned her face.

"We have four hospitals within our new territory Max why wouldn't you get a chance to do it at four months." 

She wouldn't meet his eyes.

 "Nothing is going to happen to this baby, Max, nothing," he told her emphatically, turning her face to him and lifting her chin until she had to look at him.

"You can't promise me that, Alec something could, it might…" she trailed off turning her head away again to stare fixedly in front of her.

"Sometimes I feel like it's all a dream and one day I'll wake up and they'll be no baby, and you'll be gone and I'll be back in my old life, alone again, and still trying to be human enough to be acceptable."  Her voice was small and she looked so vulnerable her eyes darting quickly to his before they fell away again.  

He felt a rush of sadness for her, and the bleakness of the unwitting picture she'd just painted of her life. 

"I want you to be there too Alec, it won't be the same if you're not.  Please come?" she cajoled pre-empting the objection she was afraid he was going to make. "Please?" she asked again.

*He didn't want that ordinary's hands on Max or the baby, but if they were going to be, then he wanted to be there.*

"Are you sure its necessary, Max, I mean Dex can…"

"I'm sure Alec," she interrupted eagerly,  "and Dex thinks it's a good idea too."  

*Fucking Dex.* "Yeah, of course I will Max I wanna be there," he answered truthfully, and was rewarded by her beaming grin.  *I just don't want any ordinary doctors there.*  

"The baby isn't going to disappear Max and neither am I.  You're stuck with us," he assured her thickly, aware of how much she wanted this baby and how devastated she'd be if anything did happen to it.  At the same time knowing he felt exactly the same.  

"It is getting bigger Max," he assured her quietly.  His hand gently curved across her stomach he measured it, "I can feel it." 

"Yeah," she agreed, peering hopefully down at her stomach, "I was just thinking that too." Smiling in pleasure, her eyes swung to his.

Dipping his head he whispered, "I love you Max," against her lips.

"I love you too Alec." She whispered back her hand over his where it rested on her stomach.

_TBC_

Please Review it makes me feel good.  


	30. Chaper 30

Thank you Kiwi for Betaring.  
  
Hot Sweet Heat Chapter Thirty  
  
Chapter Thirty  
  
Alec snapped awake, the scent of the hospital and the feeling of dread that it evoked hit him simultaneous, quickly behind that came the realization that it was only the residue scent of the ordinary doctors he could smell. His arms  
  
tightened around Max lying spread eagled across him. Rolling her gently off him, he curved her into his side and buried his nose in her neck, filling his senses with her familiar scent.  
  
"Hey," she murmured, sleepily nuzzling his chest. "Did you sleep well?" she  
  
yawned.  
  
"Yeah, and I know you did, you were snoring all night," he teased.  
  
"I was not, I don't snore."  
  
"Yeah, you do, like a hog, Max." He laughed into her ear.  
  
"Well at least I don't smell like one, unlike some people," she huffed back, her smile belying her words.  
  
"What, do I smell?" he asked, sniffing his armpit enthusiastically."  
  
"That is so gross Alec, I hate it when you do that."  
  
Laughing he twitched his nose in her direction. "Well you don't exactly smell like a flower yourself. I was going to ask you to share my bath. But I'm not now, you've hurt my feelings," he huffed in pouting imitation of Max.  
  
A pretty good imitation too she thought struggling to keep a straight face.  
  
"There's no bath, only a shower," she giggled. "Anyway I like your hog like smell its sort of earthy, and familiar." As she said it she realized how true it was, she always liked his scent and it was kind of sexy overlaid with testosterone and adrenalin, no doubt remnants from the battle in the car park.  
  
"Well I don't like yours," he laughed, rolling off the bed and onto his feet. Bending down he picked her up and carried her giggling and struggling into the bathroom. Dropping her on her feet he anchored her wriggling body with a hand around her waist and reached in and turned the water on.  
  
Laughing she resisted his efforts to get her into the shower. Finally he solved the problem by backing in, and his arm around her waist pulling her in after him. Anchoring her in front of him his hand on her abdomen he pulled her back into the cradle of his hips and angled the water on them.  
  
She sighed voluptuously settling back against his chest as the hot water streamed over her face and shoulders. He reached over her and tilted the nozzle so it was hitting him in the face.  
  
"Hey," she complained crossly.  
  
Laughing he grabbed the nozzle and held it in place as she tried to redirect it downwards.  
  
"Oh yeah, is that right," she challenged turning in his arms and pressing her slick body against his. Rubbing her breasts against his chest she reached down between them and closed her hand around him.  
  
He responded with a sharp intake of breath and she smiled smugly up at him "Hmmm, not quite there yet, but definitely interested," she purred squeezing his rapidly hardening erection. Stroking along his warm pulsing length she smiled when he sighed and leant his head back against the shower wall, closing his eyes in hedonistic pleasure as the hot water streamed over his face.  
  
"Hmm, Alec, it's much nicer doing this if the waters on me, it's warmer."  
  
She smiled complacently when the water immediately hit the side of her face. Compromises are good she decided smugly, leaning her shoulder against his chest and stroking him lazily as the water cascaded over her.  
  
"I like it on my face, Aleeec," she whined crossly, when the flow of the water left her face and hit her hip.  
  
"Yeah, I know Max," he agreed his voice rough.  
  
Her eyes flew to his and his expression made her giggle. Sinking to her knees she was still smiling as she took him in her mouth. His hands cradling her head he thoughtfully moved them both sideways so the water was hitting the side of her face again.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
"Tyler, have you seen Alec lately?"  
  
"Yeah, Tav and him are doing some recon in one of the little birds. He should be back in a couple of hours."  
  
Irritably she went in search of Cass. This was the third time she'd tried to find him this morning. They'd only talked about the ultra sound last night, how the hell could he have forgotten about it in that short space of time.  
  
"Are you ready yet?" Cass asked, her smile fading when she encountered Max's glowering expression.  
  
"No, I still can't find, Alec."  
  
'Fine by me.' Cass thought. His scowling, aggressive distrust wasn't something she was looking forward to negotiating anyway.  
  
"We could do it without him?" she suggested.  
  
"No, I'll wait for him." Max tried not to snap at her, it wasn't her fault Alec had forgotten about it.  
  
"He's really busy today," she added defensively, "we'll just have to wait until he's back."  
  
Wistfully she looked around the waiting room at the scattering of ordinary pregnant women, most of who had partners with them. Obviously their mates hadn't forgotten about them she thought dejectedly.  
  
Cass's eyes followed hers around the room. "They really need to be able to go home today its stressful for them being kept here like this. We had a similar situation a month ago when the police and army sealed off the hospital for  
  
forty-eight hours. We had one woman miscarry because the stress of worrying  
  
about the children she had at home on their own, was just too much for her.  
  
She'd been thinking about this, nobody outside of the ER knew that there was anything different about this occupation than the many others they'd been witness too. Only a few of the medical staff in the ER knew they were transgenics, everybody else assumed they were regular army, and that yesterdays fighting was just more police and army action against black marketers.  
  
She believed that it was in their interests to preserve this illusion for as long as they could, and this was another reason she needed to see Alec. If people thought they were ordinary soldiers with a right to be here, the smart way to proceed seemed to be to preserve that illusion for as long as they could. She wanted his agreement to lifting the hospital blockade, and the sooner the better, before people started to perceive that maybe there was something different about this military action.  
  
"We're letting them go this morning," she decided decisively.  
  
If Alec wasn't available then she'd decide on her own. It was a civilian matter after all she assured herself, angrily pushing aside the thought that it was also a military decision, and one that had he been here she wouldn't have made without Alec's input.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
"I've had no word on that Max," Tyler replied doubtfully.  
  
"Look Tyler, this is a civilian matter and I am telling you to lift the civilian blockade and let them in and out of here," she insisted angrily.  
  
"It may be a civilian matter but moving my soldiers is a military matter and that has gotta come to me via military command," he insisted once again, his eyes fixed stoically in front of him.  
  
"Alec left Todd in charge he'll be here in a minute. Then he can decide." Let her own pack sort her out, what a handful.  
  
Impatiently her eyes flicked over their soldiers in the car park. There seemed to be more today than yesterday, speculatively she perused the males congregating around the helicopters now parked neatly in a corner of the car park. There seemed to be an awful lot of CO's.  
  
"What's up Tyler?"  
  
"Dunno, Steve started calling them in this morning." He gestured with his head towards the car park. "We're being briefed this afternoon when Alec and Tav get back."  
  
Well that explained why Max had watched an angry, muttering Kat flounce out  
  
early this morning and remove a comms unit from the head of one of their startled techies, before stomping away again without further explanation. Steve was already back in action and obviously not with her approval.  
  
They both watched Todd as he headed for them. In heart-felt understanding Tyler watched his smile fade as Max's angry eyes pinned him.  
  
"You wanted me Tyler?" he asked his wary eyes on Max.  
  
"Yeah, problem here. Let me know what you decide."  
  
"I want the civilian blockade lifted Todd," she demanded without preamble.  
  
Turning abruptly away Tyler grinned in the face of Todd's glare.  
  
"Okay Max," he agreed.  
  
Suspiciously she peered at him. "Well good then," she said in surprise, thinking that was easier than she'd thought it would be.  
  
"I'll send my females around the departments telling them the blockade has been lifted. Oh, and that means that the civilians are to be allowed into the building from now on as well."  
  
"Yes Max," he agreed blandly.  
  
"Do you think that you could hold off on that for a couple of hours Max," he gestured expansively at the car park. "What with all that's going on here it will probably take Tyler a couple of hours to organise it? As soon as he's ready, I'll have him send word to you.  
  
"Two hours," she echoed suspiciously. "Oh alright if that's as soon as he can do it. Grudgingly she turned away and headed back into the building.  
  
"Two hours," Tyler snorted in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah well, Alec will be back by then and it won't be my headache." Todd replied smugly.  
  
Turning his back on Tyler's sardonic amusement, he chose to ignore his opinion as to how whipped the alpha unit was.  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Alec glanced impatiently at his watch again, "Can't you move it along a little faster Tav?"  
  
"No, I'm going as fast as this crate will go. It's only got a little motor. What's the hurry anyway it's all gonna still be there when we get back."  
  
"Yeah, well Max is having an ultra sound of the baby today, and it was supposed to be this morning. I had to postpone it because we had to do this but I left a message that we'd be back by two, and if you don't get a move on I 'm going to be late."  
  
"I'm going as fast as I fucking can?"  
  
"I though you didn't have one of them until you really looked pregnant."  
  
Alec looked at him curiously.  
  
"I went as guard for Rain when she went for one a few months ago. She was a  
  
hellva lot bigger than Max."  
  
"Yeah well I though it was a bit early too, but Dex has told her its okay and she wants to do it now."  
  
"She's worried something might happen to it." Alec said into the silence.  
  
Tav glanced sideways at him. "Are you?"  
  
"No. Sometimes. Maybe," he admitted. "It's like Max wants to cram as much in as fast as possible so that she won't miss anything," he said his eyes on the city spread below them.  
  
"We can protect it this time, Alec. We aren't kids anymore, and nor are we in Manticore now."  
  
"Yeah," Alec agreed.  
  
"Do you remember when we were young, what we said we'd do once we were free?" Tav asked.  
  
"Yeah," Alec sighed, looking out the window as they flew over Seattle. "Not much chance of that now." He paused before continuing. "But you could still do it, you could take the Unit and go after all this is over."  
  
"Nah, I'll stick with you big bro."  
  
Alec glanced at him. Manticore had never chosen to reveal their connection, and if Alec hadn't discovered it in their medical records, neither he nor Tav would have been any the wiser. They hardly ever referred to their relationship, and they only did if they were alone. It had always been safer that way. Having an acknowledged connection would have exposed both of them to even more danger from those wanting to manipulate them, so keeping it private had always been the  
  
safest plan.  
  
"We won't have to keep the fact that we're brothers secret anymore once all of this is over." Tav said glancing sideways.  
  
Alec smiled, sometimes Tav had the really uncanny ability of tapping into his thoughts. "No." he agreed.  
  
"I've always hated that."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So we move on the base tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, we should be ready to go early hours of the morning."  
  
"What about Howl? It looks like his guys are deployed there?"  
  
"Howl knows how we work, if he fires on us he'll be prepared to take the consequences."  
  
Tav grunted in agreement as he bought the bird down in the car park.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
"Its been nearly three hours Tyler surely you're ready by now..." Sensing Alec before she saw him Max turned angrily around.  
  
"Hey Max, I'm sorry I'm late..." Alec trailed off, his frown moving between an angry uptight Max and a stoic faced, long-suffering Tyler.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I ordered the blockade of the hospital taken off over two hours ago and Tyler doesn't appear to be any closer to accomplishing it than he was then." Gesturing disparagingly at the even more congested car park she met Alec's eyes defiantly.  
  
"This is the afternoon, Alec, and you're past late. The scan was supposed to be in the morning. I've waited all day for this and you forgot about it." Angrily she turned away.  
  
Grabbing her arm he turned her around. "Slow down, Max. "I didn't forget and I'm only ten minutes late and Tyler can't act on your order, it has to come down the chain of military command.  
  
"It did," she snapped, "Todd ordered him to dismantle the blockade and said it would take him two hours. That was nearly three hours ago."  
  
"Yeah, and I've been trying to get that prick back down here for the last half an hour." Tyler contributed sullenly.  
  
"Two hours," Alec repeated in bewilderment knowing the job would take Tyler five minutes if he went slow.  
  
"Tyler," he said decisively. "The checkpoints stay up but let business proceed as usual. Don't stop any incoming or outgoing but check everyone and everything  
  
thoroughly. Briefing will be at 8pm tonight."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Todd." He barked into his mouthpiece.  
  
"Roger, alpha one."  
  
"Find us a somewhere large enough and private enough for the briefing tonight, over."  
  
"Tav have you done it yet?"  
  
"Yeah, its done we're waiting for you."  
  
She'd given up trying to pull her hand out of his and was standing angrily at his side. "How long before these people can go home, Alec?" she demanded.  
  
"It's happening now Max," he told her quietly, gesturing to the people streaming eagerly out the main doors.  
  
It had taken him less than five minutes to make it happen, but she had waited three hours and would probably have had to wait all night. Disheartened her  
  
anger gone she suddenly felt like weeping.  
  
"Let me go Alec," she jerked her hand determinedly out of his.  
  
She had difficulty swallowing past the lump in her throat. He'd forgotten about her, and Todd and Tyler thought she was of so little consequence that they hadn't even bothered to honestly tell her they were waiting for Alec, but instead had strung her along like she was an idiot.  
  
"I didn't forget Max, I had something really important I needed to do. I left a message with Mezo that I'd be back at two o'clock."  
  
"I didn't get any message, but it doesn't matter anyway. I've decided to wait to have the ultra scan until I'm four months anyway. So it doesn't matter."  
  
He could tell she wasn't angry anymore her voice was low and subdued and all her energy seemed to have drained away.  
  
"It does matter Max you can have it now. Tav has sorted out the doctor and  
  
she's shown Dex how to do it."  
  
"I don't want Dex to do it. Cass is a specialist baby doctor and Dex is a combat medic. It doesn't matter anyway cause I'm waiting to have it now. So its no big deal."  
  
The tremble in her voice told him it was.  
  
"I've got a lot of things to do Alec and I'm sure you have to, so I'll see you later."  
  
"Leave me Alec," she snapped, batting his hand away when he went to grab her hand again.  
  
She turned and headed for the lifts impatiently scrubbing the beginnings of  
  
tears from her eyes. She pushed the button for the fourth floor intending to go back to work. When the lift stopped on the fourth floor, hugging herself she watched the doors close again, before she pushed the button for the top floor. There was nothing she was doing that Kat or any of her other females couldn't do, she'd been kidding herself if she thought otherwise. Openly sobbing now she fumbled with the door of the little apartment.  
  
Alec watched the lift doors close on her. Even if she hadn't got his message, her level of distress seemed to be out of all proportion to him being late for the scan. He knew going after her wasn't an option, she'd made it plain she wanted to be on her own  
  
"Alec, will you talk to Steve, he thinks he's getting out of bed for the briefing tonight and Dex has told him he isn't well enough." Kat's annoyed voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"Alec," she snapped crossly when he ignored her and continued to gaze in preoccupation at the lifts.  
  
"Yeah, sure Kat I'll talk to him," he said, tearing his eyes off the lift.  
  
"Um, I've just really upset Max, and she won't talk to me. Will you see she's okay for me, please."  
  
"What did you do?" Kat asked impatiently.  
  
"I was late for the scan...and now she says she wants to wait...but she's really upset."  
  
"Where did she go?"  
  
"Back to work she said."  
  
"I'll go and find her, but talk to Steve now, or the next thing you know he'll be kitted out in his body armour wanting to go on the raid." She snapped crossly.  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
It had taken her a while to find Max, but Alec had been right she was really upset. Opening the door of the bedroom Kat went in and lay down beside her.  
  
"Alec said he upset you," she ventured a long time later when Max's sobbing had subsided.  
  
"He forgot about my ultra sound."  
  
"Nah, he didn't I ran into Mezo when I was looking for you, and he asked me to tell you that Alec would be back at 2 o'clock, Alec didn't forget about you Max. Mezo just forgot to deliver the message.  
  
"This morning they decided to put this lull in hostilities to good use and they're going to hit the army base outside the city. Because it's such a strategic make or break strike, Alec and Tav did the recon themselves, that's why he wasn't here Max. I don't know much about the plan yet but there's a briefing at 8 o'clock and we'll need to be there for it.  
  
"I don't need to be there, Kat, they're never going to accept me. I think most of them think I'm a joke anyway."  
  
"Most of who? You're the female alpha who the hell thinks that?" she asked indignantly.  
  
"Those chicken shits," Kat said, when Max had finished telling her what had  
  
happened.  
  
"They were never going to end the blockade without Alec's say so, Max," she  
  
explained. "The chain of command is really important in the military and its especially important to male transgencics because of the whole alpha dominance thing.  
  
If you had just been telling them to move civilians they would have done it without question, because they know it's your domain. However you were countermanding a military decision made by their alpha. They were never going to do it, but they should have had the gumption to be honest with you instead of treating you like a fool."  
  
"Yeah, I know I'm over reacting Kat, but everything just seemed to go so wrong. Alec wasn't there to get his agreement to letting the civilians go home, and I couldn't wait to have the scan and I couldn't believe he could just forget about it," she snuffled miserably.  
  
"Why did you tell him you don't want it now, then?"  
  
"Because I realized he was only ever humoring me and I just didn't want it like that."  
  
"But it will tell you if the baby is all right."  
  
"Yeah," she whispered. "But it will also tell me it isn't and I've been thinking about that all day. Do you know why I wanted the scan in the first place Kat?"  
  
"Yeah, I know Max, she said quietly. "To convince yourself that you really are pregnant, because it's still hard for you to believe you are, because we're not  
  
supposed to get pregnant and have babies and normal lives. Because you think that if you do everything right, like getting scans, eating the right things and getting plenty of rest, the fates will overlook you and let you keep Alec and your baby. You think that by some miracle you just might be left alone to live the life you've dreamed about, from the first moment you realized there was  
  
another way to live other than what we were born into."  
  
Their eyes held in painful empathy.  
  
"Yeah, I know why. I tried to eat right and get plenty of sleep and exercise too." Kat ended bitterly.  
  
"I'm sorry for what happened to you Kat." Max said quietly putting her hand over Kat's were it rested between them.  
  
"I killed my baby, I don't deserve sympathy."  
  
"No you didn't Kat, you chose the lives of the people you loved over the life you couldn't protect. You did what you had to do. You have no reason to punish yourself."  
  
"Then why am I being punished, why can't I get pregnant again. I've been trying since Manticore burned, that's four heats and nothing. I know there's nothing wrong with Steve because he got me pregnant once so it's got to be me. Doesn't it?" she asked.  
  
"No," Max said emphatically, "and even if there is some reason you can't get pregnant, Kat, its not a punishment, because you haven't done anything wrong. Have you ever had a doctor examine you to see if there is a fertility problem?"  
  
"No. Steve and Alec took me to one a few months ago when I was really depressed. He did a blood test but when I told him about my heats he told me I'd be better off to see a vet."  
  
"Yeah, well they aren't all like that. The doctor who was going to do my scan is okay, and she's a gynaecologist why don't you talk to her about it?"  
  
"No, ordinaries don't understand Max, I don't want to go through that again and anyway Dex said that once things settle down then he'll do some reading and up skilling."  
  
"Do you want to wait for that Kat?" Max asked quietly.  
  
"No more than you want to wait for the scan, Max." The eyes met in shared understanding.  
  
"Alec's not comfortable with the ordinary doctor doing the scan so he arranged for Dex to do it, but Dex has never done it before, and I want Cass. I want my baby to have the same expert treatment that ordinary women get."  
  
"So, what are you going to do then Max?"  
  
"I'll wait until I'm four months and if Alec still hasn't got used to the idea of Cass doing it by then, I'll get it done without him. I mean it's not the end of the world if he's not there." But I want him there.  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
When she found him he was standing by the window in the ER watching the activity in the car park and listening to the radio that was always buzzing perpetually in his ear now.  
  
"Hey." Putting her arm around his waist she turned into his chest as his arms went around her.  
  
"Hey Maxi," he whispered. "I'm sorry I fucked up the scan for you."  
  
"You didn't really Alec, I 'd been worrying all day about it maybe showing something wrong with the baby and I think my hormones just made me over react."  
  
"There's going to be nothing wrong with the baby Max, your DNA is perfect and mine is as close to perfect as its possible to be, without being you. What could possibly be wrong with it?"  
  
His deadly serious expression made her laugh. 'Yeah what indeed?" she echoed laughing, immediately feeling better.  
  
He grinned down at her.  
  
"We can do it now if you want. Dex said the ordinary doctor will still be here for a couple more hours," he murmured, kissing her soft and sweetly.  
  
Her eyes flew to his.  
  
"It's your scan Max, and you can have it done by whomever you want to do it, I shouldn't have interfered."  
  
Her heart-stopping smile went a long way to assuaging his aversion to having the ordinary medic do the scan, and anyway as Dex had impolitely informed him, an ultra sound was hardly a lethal weapon. If as Dex said she needed to do it for her peace of mind, and the ordinary medic was necessary for that, then so be it.  
  
"It's our scan Alec. Yours and mine and we get to see our baby, Cass will just be running the machine, Don't let that spoil it for you."  
  
"Yeah," he agreed softly. She was right. This scan obviously meant a lot to her and letting the presence of a female medic spoil it was just plain stupid.  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Cass glanced warily at him hovering over the bed Max was propped up on. His suspicious hostile eyes following her every move.  
  
"Stop fidgeting Alec, get a chair and sit down so you can see it when it's on the screen." Max said, patting the bed beside her.  
  
Cass could hear the affectionate exasperation in her voice, and watched him  
  
slide his arm under her and take her proffered hand as he sat down beside her, lacing his fingers with Max's, he leaned over and nuzzled her ear.  
  
When he raised his head his eyes pinned Cass's and she recoiled involuntarily, her eyes darting quickly away from the antipathy in his. Consciously willing her gaze back she met his eyes steadily. Whatever issues he has with non- transgenic doctors aren't my fault.  
  
"Alec?" Feel his tension her hand on the side of his face she turned him away from Cass, shocked at the hostility she caught in his eyes before he masked it and they focused on her.  
  
Gazing down at her he could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she stared at him.  
  
"Alec?" she repeated, hesitantly stroking the side of his face. She'd never seen him look at anyone like that before.  
  
"Yeah Max," he said gently, he could feel the female medic moving but Max's eyes stayed locked with his and her hand on the side of his face prevented him from turning. When the ordinary medic started to talk she moved her hand to the other side of his face and he turned to the screen. His eyes going quickly back the Max to find her still staring at him.  
  
He smiled reassuringly and his eyes followed hers back to the screen.  
  
Cass watched their rapt fixation as both sets of eyes followed her hand as she pointed out where the baby lay, and explained that all was well, and it was  
  
actually a very big baby for only twelve weeks gestation.  
  
His eyes weren't hostile now, his thumb unconsciously stoking Max's temple as he gazed in fascination at the image on the screen. In fact he seemed to have  
  
forgotten she was there, his total focus on Max and the screen. Just like the many other expectant fathers she'd had in here before him, totally rapt up in the first tangible evidence of their child.  
  
It was different for the mothers, the baby was a reality in their bodies from the moment of conception, but for the fathers the initial scan was often the first physical evidence of their child that they experienced.  
  
Tearing his eyes away from the screen he watched Max as she gazed at their baby, all her feelings in her face as she followed its movements in rapt fascination. Looking between her and the screen he though how lucky he was to have the both of them. His eyes went back to the screen, and followed the pulsing movements of the baby he could clearly see and he vowed silently again, that he would keep them both safe.  
  
"When we do the scan at twenty weeks you'll be able to see it even clearer," Cass said into the silence.  
  
Max's eyes went in anxiety to Alec's. He could smell her fear again and this time it was in her eyes, naked and unmasked as their eyes caught.  
  
"In seven weeks time we'll be here to have that scan." he assured her emphatically, his voice low and his eyes locked with hers. "Nothing is going to happen to you or the baby," Compellingly he held her gaze.  
  
She let his confidence and certainty wash over her. "You being safe too, has to be part of that, Alec," she said softly, her hand back on the side of his face.  
  
"I'm awfully hard to kill Max," he promised smiling and turning his lips into her palm.  
  
Feeling like an intruder Cass busied herself printing out pictures of the baby. Young expectant mothers were often worried about their baby, but this was the first time she'd ever had a mother as worried about the father's chances of  
  
survival. It made Cass harshly aware of just how precarious their lives were.  
  
These two young people weren't the same as the other couples she saw, they were being hunted and exterminated because of who they were. Much like her and Brian before they'd fled to America to make a new life.  
  
Cass looked at the little baby on the screen. According to government and the media, this little one not only didn't have the right to exist it also didn't have any human rights. Well not in her book, this child and its parents had the same right to life as any of the other couples she had through her clinic.  
  
"Shall I ask my nurse to make that appointment then?" she asked decisively,  
  
handing the pictures to Max.  
  
"Yes." Alec growled curtly once more aware of her.  
  
"Show me Max," he asked eagerly, once his eyes had seen Cass out of the room.  
  
"I don't care what she says, it looks like a boy to me." He pointed to the area of the picture Cass had already explained was the umbilical cord."  
  
"Do you really want to know what the sex is now?"  
  
"Not especially, either one is okay, but it looks like he's a boy to me." He peered more closely at the picture, "I'll have this one," he said pocketing the picture."  
  
"I'm putting mine in a book that Cindy gave me to make for the baby. It's got spaces for baby pictures and birth weight and stuff like that. Her mother made one for her and it records all the milestones of her life, its really cool."  
  
"I really want our baby to have the same things, certificates and stuff, and milestones, all the things that ordinary babies have. I don't want it to be  
  
ordinary, but I want it to be happy and safe like they are and you need that sort of stuff for that..." she trailed off her eyes falling away before returning to his.  
  
He didn't know what to say to her.  
  
"Yeah, I know Max I want the same for him," he said finely, rubbing her lower lip with the pad of his finger. "There's nothing wrong with that," he added  
  
thickly, thinking how much he loved her.  
  
"You can have mine back for the book too, once I've shown Tav and Steve?"  
  
Do you think you should show it to Steve?" she asked frowning.  
  
"Are you going to show it to Kat?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So I'll show Steve," he answered, his eyes serious as he quirked his lip.  
  
"Here it is your appointment card for your twenty week scan."  
  
Alec had to suppress his smile at the astonished expression on Max's face when the ordinary doctor held out the card.  
  
"Um thanks, Cass," she said staring at the card in bemusement.  
  
"Well you wanted ordinary Max," he said, when they were out in the hall. "Nothing more ordinary than a card with an appointment seven weeks into the  
  
future," he smirked.  
  
"I don't care Alec," she retorted tartly. "It just makes it all the more real."  
  
Taking her hand he smiled sideways at her as they walked in companionable silence down the hospital hall.  
  
TBC  
  
Please review it encourages me to post. 


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One  
  
   
  
"They're an occupation force in my city aren't they Buzz?"  
  
   
  
"Yeah," Buzz replied succinctly. Preoccupied he gazed sightlessly out the window as they drove back to the base.   
  
   
  
Tanner had told him Steve was still alive but that he was one of the criticals they had in that hospital. He'd also told him that Tanya and Ana were missing and had been since their base burned down. He hadn't said it, but Howl could tell by his face and the abrupt way he'd turned away, that he thought they were dead. Those girls and their units had saved his life and if there was any chance that they were out there somewhere then he was going to do his best to find them.  
  
   
  
He'd known that Tanya had a thing for Tanner, because it was one of the things she'd whispered in his ear, the nights when he'd been delirious and shaking with fever, and she'd kept him going by alternately telling him about her life, and hectoring him to hang on and not to give up, telling him they were only hours away from their front lines and safety. Half the time he'd been too feverish to know what she was saying, but he remembered the comforting feel of her body at his back and the sound of her voice in his ear, and how he'd clung to his life long past when he wanted to give up, because he hadn't wanted to fail her.  
  
   
  
Now she was probably dead. Gunned down by the army she'd served and by the very soldiers she had served with. For what fucking reason he thought furiously. Before he'd realized that the special ops soldiers he owed his life too, and who had his deepest respect, were transgenic, he'd bought the media and government shit about transgenics being crazed animalistic killers, biological experiments gone wrong that needed to be eliminated for the good of mankind.  
  
   
  
"They aren't crazed killers and they aren't animals either," Buzz said belligerently into the silence.  
  
   
  
"No Anderson," agreed wearily. His son's recounting of his rescue and the nightmare trek out of Tanzanistan was indelibly etched in his memory. He knew that soldiers willing to risk what those special ops units had risked to get other soldiers to safety were nothing less than hero's. And the young women who'd cared enough, to take turns badgering and cajoling his son to keep the tenuous hold he had on his life, on the trek across hell, were certainly not crazed animals.  
  
   
  
"As soon as Washington knows what's happening here we'll be ordered against them."  
  
   
  
"Yeah," Anderson agreed. "So for now we keep this under wraps until we've had a chance to look at the surveillance footage, and onnce we have Tremaine's information then I can sit down and figure out what, if anything, we can do for them. How many at the base were with you in Tanzanistan? "  
  
   
  
"About fifty."  
  
   
  
Anderson glanced sideways at their driver.  
  
   
  
"Him to," Buzz said. You can talk in front of him."  
  
   
  
"Maybe contact the others and let them know that those special ops units were transgencis, " Howl suggested.  
  
   
  
"It's already happening Sir. We had a quick meeting before we left base," he explained in answer to Anderson's sideways glance.   
  
   
  
"Compile a list of where they're all stationed now, and their assigned duties, Buzz. We just might need their help."  
  
   
  
"Already happening, Sir."   
  
   
  
"I'll contact Danny maybe-"  
  
   
  
"It will already have been done by now, Sir," Buzz interrupted. "Working in Intel at Langley he'll be able to fill in any gaps Tremaine can't."  
  
   
  
Anderson's speculative eyes assessed him without comment.   
  
   
  
"We didn't know how on board you'd be with this, Sir." Buzz said his eyes steady on Anderson's."  
  
   
  
"On board with what Buzz?" Anderson asked as their eyes held. "As far as I'm concerned all I'm doing is gathering Intel before I report to my superiors."  
  
   
  
Without comment Buzz turned his closed face back to the window, as they passed through the base gates.  
  
   
  
"You're were sure that Danny would be on board then, Buzz?" Howl asked as they alighted from the jeep.  
  
   
  
"You had to be there, Sir," Buzz offered quietly by way of explanation.   
  
   
  
Anderson watching his departing back feared he might just be watching his career stroll cross the parade ground.  
  
   
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
   
  
"Max?"  
  
   
  
She heard the abrupt, loud summons from across the length of the ER, and turning toward the voice, saw Tanner, his helmet under his arm, hovering ill at ease just inside the main doors.   
  
   
  
Getting the message that he wasn't coming any further into the ER she walked impatiently over to him.  
  
   
  
"I've got a message for Steve from Howl."  
  
   
  
Irritated, about to tell him to tell Steve himself, she paused, taking in his aggressive unease, as his eyes continuously raked the room. His hostile wariness reminded her of Alec's behaviour when he had to deal with ordinary medical personal.  
  
   
  
"You can tell him yourself," she suggested more mildly than she'd originally intended.   
  
   
  
"No." he snapped. "I don't come into these places. You tell him," he ordered abruptly.  
  
   
  
"Please," he added as an after thought. It still snapped out like an order, but realizing how he sounded he smiled at her. Taken aback at the transformation of his face from dark and glowering to charming she snapped her mouth shut and swallowed her angry retort.  
  
   
  
"He'd be glad of the company. Some of the other CO's have been in to see him," she suggested evenly.  
  
   
  
"No, he knows why I don't come in. Just tell him Howl wishes him well and he's gonna start looking for Tanya and Ana from his end." Abruptly he turned away.  
  
   
  
"Its just a hospital Tanner. It isn't Manticore and those two bitches aren't here." She didn't know why she said it. It was really none of her business, but his aggressive panic at just being in the place reminded her of Alec, and she just couldn't help herself.  
  
   
  
He stopped half way through the door and turned back to her, his face cold and shuttered, his eyes angry green balls of ice.  
  
   
  
"What do you know about that?" he demanded harshly.   
  
:  
  
"Just that you're not in Manticore now and it's different out here," lamely she repeated what she'd heard Dex say to Alec, wishing she hadn't said anything.  
  
   
  
"You must know? Otherwise why bring them up? Alec's told you." His savage voice was at odds with the stark pain in his eyes and the dull red flush infusing his face.  
  
   
  
Out of her depth Max stared apprehensively at him, fervently wishing she'd said nothing. "No he hasn't told me any-. No wait Tanner I'm sorry-" He shrugged her hand off his arm as she followed him through the doors and into the hospital car park.  
  
   
  
Max watched him shoulder anyone who got in his way aside as he aggressively made his way across the hospital car park. Fuck what have I done.   
  
   
  
"Alec," she gasped, catching sight of him as he turned, smiling and unsuspecting, and Tanners fist exploded into his face.   
  
   
  
No, No. She could hear the impact of fists on flesh and Alec and Todd's voices as they tried to calm him down. She tried to fight her way through the males who had closed ranks around them, but was presented with a wall of solid male backs wherever she turned. Fuck Kat hadn't been kidding when she said if they didn't want you there, they just blocked you out. Furiously she kicked the X'5 in front off her in the back of his knee. He faltered, but didn't go down, not even turning in her direction.  
  
   
  
"Max." Tav bit out from behind her.  
  
   
  
"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded.  
  
   
  
"Tanner's just had a good go at Alec and he's now beating the crap out of Todd." Mezo said, as he and the males directly in her path turned to Tav.  
  
   
  
"What the fuck. Why?" Tav asked in astonishment.   
  
   
  
"Let me through?" Angrily, Max pushed Mezo aside. Only to find herself facing another row off male backs.  
  
   
  
"Tell them to move Tav," she insisted through gritted teeth.  
  
   
  
"Is he in his instincts?" Tav demanded.  
  
   
  
"Doesn't appear to be. Just off his head," Mezo answered shrugging.  
  
   
  
"Move," Tav ordered and the row of backs parted, as did the row in front of them until Max with Tav beside her had pushed through to the front.  
  
   
  
"What the fuck is your problem, Tanner?" Alec grunted from the ground, where he struggled to hold Tanner in a headlock.  
  
   
  
Another broken nose Max thought guiltily her eyes on Alec's face. Todd stood at the side holding his ribs, and she quickly inventoried his injuries. Broken nose, probably cracked ribs and his face was battered to hell. Tanner appeared unscathed.  
  
   
  
"Let him up Alec." she demanded, grabbing the back of his vest and pulling him backwards. Surprised, he let go of Tanner and fell backwards at her feet. Tanner immediately on his feet stood flexing his shoulders and glowering as he waited for Alec to get up.  
  
   
  
"You can beat your way through my whole fucking unit Tanner. I told you, I'm not fighting you," Alec said quietly, still sitting on the ground at her feet.   
  
   
  
"Nobody is beating anyone. This is my fault. Look Tanner I'm sorry it was absolutely none of my business. I was just repeating what I heard Dex say to Alec. Alec has told me nothing about why the two of you are so freaked in hospitals he-." she faltered, becoming uncomfortably aware of the sudden silence and the tension around her. Her gaze flicked from Tanner's closed face and around the circle of now still and tense males, to Alec as he stood up. Her eyes fell from the rage in his.  
  
"Tanner you've fought behind my unit since I can remember. Have I ever let you down? Betrayed you before?" his voice was strong as his gaze locked with Tanners.  
  
   
  
"No."   
  
   
  
"Tell us what you heard Max," he demanded his eyes still locked with Tanner's.   
  
   
  
She waited until his angry eyes went to hers.   
  
   
  
She glanced questioningly around the circle.   
  
   
  
"Oh yeah you can talk in front of them Max," he said scathingly, his eyes following hers. Unlike you, they all know what this is about."   
  
   
  
"Just that the two bitches weren't here and there was no reason to let the ordinary doctors freak you out." I'm sorry Tanner it was none of my business." She finished quietly.  
  
   
  
"No it wasn't." Alec snapped. "What you heard will go no further. Will it Max?"  
  
   
  
"No," she agreed, her eyes steady on Alec's profile as he continued to hold Tanner's gaze.  
  
   
  
"Its alpha business. Not Dex's." Tanner bit out gruffly.  
  
   
  
"Yeah I know Tanner," Alec accepted wearily, "and I told him to shut it."  
  
   
  
"The strategy meeting is sitting now Tanner. Will you be there with me?"  
  
   
  
"Yeah."  
  
   
  
They were all still standing silently but Max could feel the collective release of tension. She watched Tanner head over to Todd as the circle started to break up.  
  
   
  
"I'm really sorry Alec I didn't know he'd react like that, I-" she faltered in the face of his blank faced stare.   
  
   
  
"I've got a lot of stuff to do before the briefing tonight, Max. I'll see you later." He was already turning away before he'd finished talking.  
  
   
  
"Alec your nose it'll need to-"   
  
   
  
"Organise a medic into us, will you Tav," he asked over his shoulder, ignoring her. "Not Dex," he added as an after thought.  
  
   
  
She watched him walk over to Todd whose nose was straight on his face again thanks to Tanners assistance. Clapping Tanner on the back Alec turned him away from the others and they stood talking as the other CO's filed through a side door into the building beside the ER. The meeting room she assumed.   
  
   
  
"Come on then Max, lets get a medic, and get into the meeting."  
  
   
  
Mutinously her eyes trailed Alec as he turned and followed Tanner into the building. He doesn't have to act as if I did it deliberately.   
  
   
  
Tav realizing she wasn't with him turned and walked back to her. "He'll just be mending what bridges he can with Tanner," he explained impatiently, glancing after Tanner and Alec and back to her sullen face.   
  
   
  
"I didn't do it deliberately Tav," she snapped.  
  
   
  
"Yeah I know that Max and so does Alec, but Tanner and Alec go back a long way, and they've never fought each other before, except when they've had too in training. What just happened here was a big deal for both of them, and not just personally either. Tanner is Alec's most important allegiance. His unit spent a lot of their time in another area of the compound and if Tanner decided to reject Alec as alpha, and walked away, all those units who grew up with him and owe him first allegiance, would walk with him.   
  
   
  
Still staring at Alec she had that sense of overwhelming inadequacy again. Was she ever going to understand how it all worked?   
  
   
  
Dispirited she turned and followed Tav into the ER.  
  
   
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
   
  
"What do you think about the plan Kat?" Max asked curiously, as they exited the meeting.  
  
   
  
"I'm a little worried about how thin our resources will be spread across the city for the time the males are at the base. But I suppose Alec is right, we're already holding the city internally without anybody being aware off it. The only people who have any idea that anything might be happening, are on that base, so it's highly unlikely that we'll have any internal trouble while they're gone, I guess.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, I know the support units can handle it here, that's not my concern," Max replied. "I'm more worried about the fighting units. There are seven thousand military personnel on that base and our fighting units don't even number half that."  
  
   
  
Kat laughed, "Yeah, Max but we're transgenics and while we don't have the numbers, in terms of effectiveness, our fighting units actually outnumber them five to one. I'm not worried about their ability to do the job, I'm just still not really comfortable with them going off to fight without us, and I don't really like being in the field without them either."  
  
   
  
"There's not much we can do though, it's just the facts of our lives," Kat sighed. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like to go to bed at night and wake up in the morning safe, with nobody wanting to kill you and nothing to worry about except the things that ordinaries worry about. What are they anyway? Max?"  
  
   
  
"Do they even have anything to worry about?" she giggled as an after thought.  
  
   
  
"Well they think they do." Max laughed in return, thinking about some of the more ridiculous situations she'd found herself in on Logan's missions. How far away and disconnected from all that she was now. Exchanging grins with Kat as they walked side-by-side back to the ER she once again appreciated how lucky she was to be back with her own kind  
  
   
  
"You take the first sleep break Max, that way you can have yours with Alec. He'll only get a couple of hours, but I heard him tell Tav he was taking his first."  
  
   
  
"He's pretty pissed off with me at the moment Kat, he'll probably just bed down with the other guys," she said glumly.  
  
   
  
"Just something I said to Tanner, that I shouldn't have," she mumbled in response to Kat's curious look.  
  
   
  
"I heard that Tanner had a go at Alec and Todd tried to stop him," Kat said into the silence when Max wasn't anymore forthcoming. "Tanner's staunchly loyal to Alec. I can't imagine what you could have said that would make him want to fight him," she probed curiously.  
  
   
  
"Must have freaked them all out," she added in the face of Max's ongoing silence.  
  
   
  
"In case he'd challenged for alpha," she clarified into the continuing silence. "That would have caused a major disruption. Tanner's one of the few with the allegiances as well as the alpha rank to pull it off."  
  
   
  
"What," Max spluttered. "But I thought that Alec hasn't had to fight for alpha since he was young. I though Thor was an aberration because he was crazy."  
  
   
  
"No, Max he can be challenged for alpha at anytime. They fight amongst themselves for ranking quite a bit," she explained casually.  
  
   
  
More stuff I don't know Max thought numbly, once again feeling the familiar feeling of inadequacy.  
  
   
  
"Oh shit Kat. Tanner had a message for Steve. What with all the hassle I forgot to tell him. He came to tell Steve, that Howl sends him his regards and he's going to look for Tanya and Ana from his end."  
  
   
  
"Is he?" Kat smiled delightedly. "I'll tell Steve. It's good that he's prepared to help us like that. You need to tell Alec that Max. That's the one thing that I really don't like about hitting that base. The fact that Howl and his guys are going to be there. We served with them and-"  
  
   
  
"If they fire on us then they're just more ordinaries trying to kill us." Tav interrupted from behind her.   
  
   
  
"Yeah, well I hope that none of you end up facing off against him and his guys." Kat mumbled after his departing back.  
  
   
  
"Tav," Max called after him. "Where is Alec sleeping?"  
  
   
  
"In that ordinary apartment, I'm supposed to wake him at 0200.  
  
   
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
   
  
He'd obviously just got there and was sitting on the bed taking his boots off when she arrived.  
  
   
  
"I'm sorry Alec I didn't realize I'd upset him like that I-"  
  
   
  
"If I said I didn't want to talk about it with you Max, why the hell would you think that Tanner would?" he interrupted.  
  
   
  
"I... Never mind, I'm just sorry. Okay? He was uncomfortable and I … I didn't mean to piss him off like that."  
  
   
  
"You didn't piss him off Max, you did far worse than that," he said quietly, standing up and unzipping his fatigues.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, I know," she admitted unhappily. "And I really am sorry, I was just trying to help, but I'm just not very good at it," she mumbled regretfully.   
  
   
  
He didn't answer and she watched him quickly strip down to his boxers.  
  
   
  
"Yeah well, lets just get some sleep, huh?" Getting into the bed he turned his back on her.   
  
   
  
Her heart sinking she stared at his broad back. It was bad enough she was responsible for his battered face she didn't want this bad feeling between them as well. Not when he would be going off to fight in a few hours.  
  
   
  
Quickly stripping her clothes off she climbed in beside him and rolled him onto his back. His long-suffering sigh sent her eyes quickly to his, and her resolve faltered as he gazed impatiently at her.   
  
   
  
"I don't want you to go off this morning angry with me Alec. Her gaze moved over the two thin white strips of tape marring his face, I'm really sorry about your nose. And your black eyes," she mumbled as an after thought, her eyes falling away from his.  
  
   
  
"What about my splitting headache Max? Tanner's king punch is even more lethal than Steve's right hook."   
  
   
  
Her eyes returned to his. His face was serious but she thought his lips quirked. Just slightly.  
  
   
  
"And that too." Her smile was small and hesitant.  
  
   
  
He stared back at her uncertain face. She was so different now. Three months ago she wouldn't have cared less how he felt, or how many broken noses and black eyes he had, let alone whether he was angry with her.   
  
   
  
"I'm not as good with people as you are Alec. I don't want to intrude where you don't want me but I…"  
  
   
  
"Shhh it's alright Max," he interrupted his finger on her lips. "Lets just forget about it. I'm not really angry with you. I'm just tired. Let's just go to sleep?" he said closing his eyes.  
  
   
  
"Yes, you are angry with me." She lay down beside him on her back her head angled so she could see his profile. "But that's okay," she said realizing it was. She'd rather he wasn't angry, but he was and there wasn't much more she could do about it. "Just as long as you know I'm sorry and I love you," she muttered self-consciously.   
  
   
  
He turned his head on the pillow to look at her. She'd followed his example and was lying on her back with her eyes closed and her hands resting on her stomach. His gaze lingered on her profile before he turned back and closed his eyes again.  
  
   
  
"Tanner and I go way back, we're not just friends Max," he said finally into the silence. "Its more than that, he's more like… he paused turning his head to her as he searched for words to describe the connection.  
  
   
  
"Like your brother Alec?" she suggested.  
  
   
  
"No. Like my own pack," he corrected. As she knew he would.  
  
   
  
"I've only got one brother."   
  
   
  
She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.  
  
   
  
"Tav is my brother."  
  
   
  
"You don't seem very surprised?" he added when she made no comment.  
  
   
  
"He's very like you in a lot of ways Alec. I sort of figured it out and Kat confirmed it. Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
   
  
"Habit. We're just used to keeping it to ourselves. Safer."  
  
   
  
She certainly understood that. In the harsh world that was Manticore the ones you cared about were just more tools to manipulate you with.  
  
   
  
"Also because of Ben. He was always more your brother than mine, and your brother was dead.   
  
   
  
"I don't begrudge you Tav, Alec."  
  
   
  
"Yeah, I know that Max but there just never seemed a right time to tell you about him."  
  
   
  
She moved onto her side, tucked the sheet under her arm and propped her head on her hands so she could see him better.  
  
   
  
"How did you find out he was your brother?" she asked him curiously.  
  
   
  
"When I was nine I busted into one of the labs and had a look through all our medical records. It was all there, Ben and me, Tav and his twin, all born from the same mother. Surrogate 27 they called her. She gave Manticore four children," he told her his face devoid of emotion.  
  
   
  
"Tav's got a twin too?  
  
   
  
"He had one, but he died when they were born. Evidently we all had random samples of surrogate 27's genetic material, plus Manticore contributed four identical gene cocktails. According to the file we're as genetically correlated as human siblings."   
  
   
  
"Brothers," he finished simply.   
  
   
  
"We were part of a wider study looking to test different Manticore gene mixes for males. There were five test groups in the study with six males in each group. In ours there was Tav and me, Steve, Cloud, Dale and Tanner and we were all given the same Manticore gene cocktail. Cloud and Dale were twins and got there other genetic material from surrogate 45, but Tanner and Steve got there's from different surrogates so they aren't brothers."  
  
   
  
"They kept some of us together in the same units because they wanted consistency across our environments, so that our life experiences weren't to radically different."  
  
   
  
"An identical gene contribution from Manticore makes you closely related to all the others in that sample as well Alec."   
  
   
  
He laughed, "Max we've all closely related. Maticore mixed the genes consistently within both the sexes. It's lucky that they kept the male and female gene mixes so different, or we wouldn't be able to breed safely, because we wouldn't know who was genetically too close, for it to be safe. The one consistent thing for both the sexes, are the feline genes. Hence our mating behaviour and our similar instincts. Male instinct is of course stronger because of the larger feline gene component."   
  
   
  
"So really Max I'm as closely related to kitty as I am to Dale or Tanner," he added smiling.   
  
   
  
Her eyes followed the finger she stroked across the ball of his shoulder and down over the curve of his bicep. "I don't think there's much domestic cat in either off us Alec."   
  
   
  
He grinned back at her. "Maybe not. But you make a good point. Having the same gene cocktail from Manticore has made our group similar in some ways. One obvious similarity is how we line up alpha wise. We all outrank every other transgen male we've ever encountered. The order is officially me, then Tav, then Steve in our Unit. Tanner's unit fights behind mine and Dale's unit fights behind Tanners.   
  
   
  
"However for Tanner, Tav, Steve and me, dominance fluctuates, it depends on what's going on. Based on what I understand from animal genetics and behavioural studies that I've read, that would suggest we're all about the same ranking. Dale is still developing, he seems to be a little behind, but I'm picking that as he gets older he'll be on a par."   
  
   
  
It was all so fascinating and when he talked he didn't lecture or patronise her like Logan had. "How do you know all this stuff Alec?"   
  
   
  
"Years of nosing around Manticore and breaking into every data base they had, mega reading about genetics and animal behaviour," he shrugged.  
  
   
  
"How come if you know all this you didn't know much about my heat when it happened?"  
  
   
  
"I know all the tech stuff about it, but my personal experience of heat was confined to making sure, that the few times the meds they gave my females to regulate heat, didn't work, then I got them into lockdown quickly. I'd been told about it by other guys too, but none of that was very helpful." A pack of bullshit in fact.  
  
   
  
"Not many of us have practical experience of heat Max. For the most part it was well controlled while we were in Manticore. The guys who have been through heat since we've been out here, are usually mated with those females and don't really talk about it."  
  
   
  
"I didn't do too badly? Did I?" he asked smiling engagingly at her.  
  
   
  
"You did alright for a learner," she smiled back.  
  
   
  
"I'll be better next time."   
  
   
  
His suggestive leer made her giggle.   
  
   
  
"Where do I figure in this alpha line up? I mean why am I alpha Alec?"   
  
   
  
"It's the same for females Max, your alpha status is also based on dominance. Although for females it seems to be based as much on personal presence as physical dominance. Female instincts just like male instincts will also tell you who is alpha to you."  
  
   
  
"Mine don't Alec," she said regretfully, her eyes mournful as she chewed her lip.  
  
   
  
He laughed and swung his arm around her pulling her into his chest. "They would Max if there were any females that were alpha to you, but there aren't." He was still laughing as he tilted her chin up and brushed his lips across hers.  
  
   
  
"There are males that are, but that's probably only because we have more animal gene than you, and since I'm alpha to them, and I do what you tell me anyway, it hardly matters. Does it?"   
  
   
  
"No I suppose not," she smirked, wiggling into a more comfortable position, relieved he was no longer angry with her.  
  
She'd been quiet for a while and he thought she was asleep  
  
   
  
"Alec?"   
  
   
  
Just slipping into sleep he jerked back to wakefulness.  
  
   
  
"What?"  
  
   
  
"Did you read anything about transgenic and human cross breeding?"   
  
   
  
Fuck.  
  
   
  
"Not much Max, but we know it can be done. Every male transgenic has been doing nothing but, since he got out of Manticore," he answered deliberately misunderstanding her.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, why is that?" she asked indignantly. Diverted as he hoped she'd be.   
  
   
  
"Because they can't get enough of us Max. They love us. We're much better than what they're used too," he smirked at her.  
  
   
  
"Aww. That hurt," he complained, rubbing where she'd pinched him in extravagation.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, but you said yourself, we're much better with each other. We've got more stamina and there's the scent thing, they have no phemerones, and I know that human females could no more keep up with you than human males can with me. So why were all of you out there trying to screw every human female that would have you?"  
  
   
  
"I wasn't, " he said defensively. "Well only at first," he mumbled when she scoffed in disbelief.   
  
   
  
"Yes. You were. All of you were. Especially you," she added rolling her eyes.   
  
   
  
Well so much for diverting her. This was even worse.  
  
   
  
He grabbed her hand in case she decided to pinch him again.   
  
   
  
"Yeah well, I don't want to talk about that now. I've got to get some sleep."   
  
   
  
"And anyway I was very choosey," he added tetchily.  
  
   
  
Her scornful snort into his chest really irritated him.  
  
   
  
"Cece and Kat and I used to laugh at all of you. It was pathetic."  
  
   
  
"Look Max," he was angry now. "Most of the guys had never been out of Manticore before, unless they were on active. That's straight into war zones and straight out again. Manticore didn't exactly release us for R&R so most of them had absolutely no experience of ordinary woman except the female personnel they encountered at Manticore, and believe me Max you wouldn't chose to go there of your own free will."   
  
   
  
"Suddenly there're out here with no structure, no purpose, no one telling them what to do, and surrounded by a lot of hot, willing women, who not only didn't order us around, hit or pinch us," he squeezed the hand he was still holding. "But who didn't make fun of us either, and on top of that who thought we were hot. Combine that with the heady rush of scoring the females of the males who had treated you like animals most of your life Max, and yeah, some of us went a little crazy for a little while. So what?" he demanded defensively.  
  
   
  
Why the hell can't I keep my big mouth shut she thought, taking note of when they had changed to us and we, and he had obviously started including himself?   
  
   
  
"That was only initially anyway, once the units started reuniting and we were back in the familiar pack structure we all calmed down. As for me, I hadn't had an ordinary female for months before your heat. So I don't know what the hell you found that was so amusing and pathetic about me? He disengaged his body from hers and rolled onto his side turning his back on her. "I've got to be up in a couple of hours and I'm going to sleep," he finished curtly, jerking the quilt up over his upper body.  
  
   
  
Closing her eyes she suppressed a groan at her inept clumsiness. When she opened them she found herself staring at the broad triangle of his shoulders and back. She'd made it much worse, having him go off to fight when he'd been angry with her about Tanner, would have been bad enough, but now he was not only angry but she'd offended him as well. Why the fuck did I say that.  
  
   
  
"I didn't really think it was amusing Alec," she said quietly. "None of us did. We hated it. Cece hated seeing Biggs with them, and Kara hated watching Tyler, and Lisa hated watching Mezo, and I hated watching you. We joked about it because we didn't know what to do."  
  
   
  
"All you had to do was treat us like they did. Not even that. Just acting as if you liked us would have been enough," he snorted.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, the others figured that out Alec. I'm sorry it took me so much longer."  
  
   
  
He didn't answer her and miserably she stared at the back of his neck where his hair met his barcode.   
  
   
  
All the things I did to try and get her to take me seriously. All the times I went home on my own, miserable just in case it might make a difference. Amusing and pathetic. Fuck. That says it all.  
  
   
  
Feeling flat and depressed he lay there staring bleakly at the wall. At least he wasn't tired any more, so he might as well get up and let Tav get some extra sleep. He used to really look forward to combat when he'd been in Manticore. He'd seen any time away from the facility both as a respite and a chance to prove he was good for something. A successful battle had always made him feel good about himself. He had that same feeling of anticipation about this action. It was good to be back doing what he was good at. Amusing and pathetic. Fuck.  
  
   
  
Her nervous laugh intruded into his thoughts and he tuned back into what she was saying.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, and I used to get so jealous. Just watching you talking to them would make me furious."   
  
   
  
His lack of response was even more disconcerting than his anger. "Do you remember when White put that bomb in your head?" she rushed on as he continued to ignore her.   
  
   
  
"I, I was so scared, and it made me angry that I was scared, and then I found myself arguing about the stupid fucking cure, which I couldn't have given a rats ass about, and then I looked at you and realized what I was doing. I was so relieved when he got it out of your neck, and my relief scared me to. You'd just tried to kill me and everything was so messed up. I didn't want to send you away, even then Alec but I didn't know what else to do.   
  
   
  
She knew she was babbling but she didn't have much time. He needed to get some sleep, and she didn't want him leaving in the morning, thinking she'd ever though he was pathetic. She moved into his back and put her arm around his waist. He didn't move away, but nor did he move to welcome her like he usually did. It was plain he didn't want her touch, but she knew if she moved away, he was going to get up and go, and she would miss whatever chance she had to fix this. Trying to stem her frightening feeling of inadequacy she put her cheek against his back.  
  
   
  
"Do you know that when I first met you in Manticore, Alec, I felt sorry for you. Feeling him tense she closed her eyes and ploughed on. Yeah, there you were still stuck in Manticore. Just another soldier clone and I was out in the real world living with humans. Free. She laughed sadly. It didn't take me long to realize who was the lucky one Alec.  
  
   
  
"When you showed up after Manticore burned, keeping you in my life became so important so quickly I was terrified. Nobody besides my brothers and sisters had ever treated me like you did, and that had been so long ago that I'd forgotten how to accept it, and I just didn't know how to reciprocate. So I tried to push you away by treating you badly and putting you down, but I didn't want you to go. I wanted you to stay. I just didn't know how to tell you."   
  
   
  
He still hadn't said anything but his body had relaxed and she knew she had his attention.   
  
   
  
"So I clung to the fantasy of Logan because he was safe and he wasn't scary. I was used to doing the things he needed and being the person he wanted. I didn't know how to be the person you needed and wanted me to be."  
  
   
  
"I didn't want you to be anybody but yourself Max."  
  
   
  
"Yeah, I know that Alec. That's the person I didn't know how to be, until I got back with my own kind."  
  
   
  
"I didn't want you with all those ordinary women, but I didn't know how to deal with that either. I was trying to be in love with Logan and I was so jealous of them with you that I couldn't see straight. I only ever started bringing Logan to crash because I wanted to piss you off."  
  
   
  
"When you stopped coming to crash as much and started spending so much time at TC, for a long time I was scared that you'd mated with someone. That's why I started spending so much time there too, even though I didn't really fit in…"  
  
   
  
Astounded he turned onto his side and leaning on his elbow he searched her face. How had he not picked this up if she had felt like this? He'd always known she was attracted to him because her scent had consistently told him. But he had a transgenic nose and he'd encountered that scent on a lot of women. It didn't really mean anything other than they wanted to fuck you. It didn't mean they would, and it didn't mean they didn't have the same response to ten different guys a day. So while it had given him some hope to cling too, he hadn't set that much store by it.  
  
   
  
"My unit had arrived Max and I didn't need to go there as much."   
  
   
  
"Yeah I know that now, but I didn't then. All I knew was that suddenly you were spending a lot of time with other transgenics a lot of whom were really hot females, who you seemed really close too…,"she trailed off.  
  
"My unit Max."  
  
   
  
"Yeah, but you hadn't told me that then Alec, and everything was so messed up. There was Logan and then there was you, and you had all those ordinary women plus the women in your unit and I was really confused about everything."  
  
   
  
"If you felt like this how come you never told me? Or I never picked up on it?" he asked frowning in bewilderment.  
  
   
  
"Because I didn't know how I felt. I told you I was confused about everything. I've only really figured it all out since my heat."  
  
   
  
"Why are you telling me now?"  
  
   
  
"Because I want you to know that I didn't think you were pathetic. I was just insanely jealous and didn't know what to do about it. My whole situation made me furious so I convinced myself that you were an asshole and that's why I treated you like I did. Why I was so… so physical with you."  
  
   
  
"Why you hit me all the time," he corrected succinctly.  
  
   
  
"Yeah."  
  
   
  
"No. That's not why Max. If that had been the reason I wouldn't have let you do it. You hit me because that was the only way you could touch me that was acceptable to you. I let you because you had no pack to care about you and give you the touch that we all instinctively need because of our feline genes."  
  
   
  
"Yeah," she agreed softly, her eyes roaming his face with affection. "But I also hit you because you deserved it," she added sweetly.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, well, there was that too," he agreed his lips quirking.  
  
   
  
"I don't know how we even got onto that Alec? I wasn't talking about that when I asked you had you read anything about transgenic and human cross breeding?"   
  
   
  
Fuck.  
  
   
  
"I'm tired Max I need to sleep," he said hastily hoping to circumvent her.  
  
   
  
"Just tell me quickly then. " She angled her head so she could see him better.  
  
   
  
"I was asking whether the children produced when we mate with ordinaries are transgenic or human?"  
  
   
  
"Or are they a blend," she added when he didn't say anything.  
  
   
  
"Alec."  
  
   
  
"We can't breed successfully with them Max," he said finally. We can mate with them but we can't breed with them."  
  
   
  
"What." Her shocked eyes fixed on him.  
  
   
  
"Male ordinary sperm isn't strong enough to survive in your body it dies. Male transgenic sperm survives in the human females body but it doesn't usually manage to fertilise any eggs. In the trials that Manticore did when they forced ovulation the resulting foetuses were hideously deformed."  
  
   
  
"But that can't be right two of my sisters had babies to humans."   
  
   
  
He frowned in astonishment. "Well according to the studies it was next to impossible Max. Maybe they had also mated with other transgenics and just thought they were pregnant to the ordinaries?"   
  
   
  
"Well Jace maybe, she had other transgenics around her, but Tinga didn't have any contact with other transgenics and she was married."   
  
   
  
"Well I don't know Max, but that's what the studies showed, and that's what we've always believed. Maybe those females from your pack had less animal and more human DNA than other transgenic females. I don't know." That certainly isn't the case for you.  
  
   
  
"I mean think about it Max, we have feline genes and feline breeding cycles. Is it sensible that we would be able to breed with humans?"  
  
   
  
"Why the hell didn't you tell me this when I was with Logan?" she demanded.  
  
   
  
"Because you were never with Logan, Max. He couldn't touch you for gods sake," he said in exasperation. I knew I didn't want to have this conversation.   
  
   
  
"Is that supposed to be clever?" she demanded, moving away from him to the other side of the bed.  
  
   
  
"Don't you think I had a right to know? she insisted irately.  
  
   
  
"If he could have touched you I would have told you, Max." If he had tried to touch with you he'd be dead.   
  
   
  
"Anyway you've just said that you know of two cases where interbreeding was successful. So maybe their studies were wrong."  
  
   
  
"You don't believe they were wrong do you Alec?"  
  
   
  
"No," he sighed with resignation.  
  
   
  
"So you should have told me."  
  
   
  
"Yes," he agreed, knowing exactly how that conversation would have been received.  
  
   
  
"But I wouldn't have wanted to hear it then," she admitted.  
  
   
  
"No," he agreed blandly his eyes wide with surprise.   
  
   
  
"You still should have told me," she repeated. Settling back down against him she slung her arm around his waist and hugged him.  
  
   
  
"Yeah," he agreed. Bemused he looked down his body to where her arm rested across him. Well that went better than expected.  
  
   
  
"Your mine now Max so it doesn't matter anyway. Does it?" Leave it alone you fuckwit.  
  
   
  
"That's not the point Alec. I still want to know these things just like everybody else?" she snapped. "I hate it when you don't tell me stuff and I find out about it afterwards. It makes me feel like and idiot."  
  
   
  
Turning onto his side he pulled her further up his body and nuzzled his nose into the warm, Max scented spot behind her ear.   
  
   
  
"Sorry," he mumbled against her neck.  
  
   
  
"Go to sleep Alec."   
  
   
  
She rubbed her cheek against his chest and tightened her arm around him. He was right, she would never have to worry about whether or not she could breed with an ordinary, but what about other transgenic women? He was probably right about successful mating with humans being dependent on the amount and maybe even the combination of animal DNA you carried. She shuddered thinking about the deformed foetuses and unconsciously shifted closer until his abdomen rested comfortingly against her womb. He was already asleep. She closed her eyes and tried to follow him.   
  
   
  
Two hours later she was still awake. Rolling onto her side she propped her head on her hand, her eyes roaming over him as he slept. His arm was outstretched above her and the rest of him was spread untidily across the bed, the sheet lay skimming his hips leaving his upper body exposed, and his chest rose and fell with the rhythmic breaths of deep sleep. One thing about Alec he seemed to be able to sleep the sleep of the truly relaxed, wherever he was, despite what was going on around him.  
  
   
  
His thick dark lashes rested on his cheeks and his lips were slightly parted, almost begging her to kiss them. She didn't want to wake him yet, so instead she moved closer and settled for the exchange of his warm breath for hers, breathing his air as he breathed it out.  
  
   
  
She nestled back into his side and put her head on his shoulder. Still asleep, he immediately curved his arm and settled his hand on her hair. She liked the familiar, reassuring feel of his naked body wrapped around hers, and lay there just enjoying the closeness and comfort she always felt when he unconsciously curled himself around her when he was asleep. I wish I didn't have to wake him up.  
  
   
  
Closing her eyes she turned her face into his shoulder inhaling his warm sleepy scent. Not for the first time she wished their lives were like other peoples, and she could lay here all night, secure in the fact that if she went to sleep, he'd still be here when she woke up, safe, and with nothing more on his mind than making love to her.  
  
   
  
Except their lives weren't like other peoples. She sighed softly. She did have to wake him up and the few hours' sleep he'd just had, were probably going to have to do him for the next twenty-four hours. In a couple of hours he was going to be armed, kitted up, and en route for the army base outside the city.   
  
   
  
"Alec," she whispered softly her hand stroking his stomach. He didn't stir.   
  
   
  
"Alec. Its time to wake up."  
  
   
  
Her breath was warm and tickling in his ear. He groaned and rolled onto his side pulling her into him. "I'm awake," he mumbled sleepily, burying his face in her neck.  
  
   
  
"Alec," she whispered again, five minutes later when his breathing was again even and rhythmic against her throat."  
  
   
  
"Hmm. I'm awake Max." Drowsily he rolled onto his back.   
  
   
  
"I wish you didn't have to get up, " she said wistfully, stroking her fingers across his temple and through his hair  
  
   
  
"Yeah, so do I," he murmured, closing his eyes and relishing her touch. Knowing that she just wanted to touch him, without sex, was strangely intimate and it always made him feel closer to her.  
  
   
  
She loved it when he was totally relaxed with her like this, his content acceptance of her touch, without him wanting sex from her, added a depth of intimacy to his feeling for her, and made her feel even closer to him.  
  
   
  
"I'm worried about hitting the army base, Alec. If we need all our fighting units for the strike it just seems like we're spreading ourselves awfully thin?"   
  
   
  
"There's nothing to worry about Max," he moved his arm around her and curved her into his side. "It's just a routine sortie. The only thing different about this for us is that this time we're fighting for ourselves. Everything is quiet at the moment and it's the ideal time to get what we need from that base. It's just too good and opportunity to miss. Soon they're going to come after us anyway. When they do it's better we have as much of their equipment and munitions as we can score off them.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, but I hate not being there to watch your back Alec."  
  
   
  
"My unit have been doing it for twenty years and they're pretty good at it Max, I'll be fine," he murmured into her ear, unable to stop from grinning, sometimes when she worried about him like this it still took him by surprise.  
  
   
  
"Yeah, well it's not the same as being there myself. You'd feel the same if it was me going off without you."  
  
   
  
He couldn't argue with that. He felt exactly the same. He was just as worried about leaving her and the rest of the support units to hold Seattle without males in the units. He'd never left females in the field without males before, and he was as worried about that, as he was uneasy about having the male units in the field without females.  
  
   
  
Transgenic males were strong on aggression and fighting skills, but when their testosterone and adrenalin was pumping they were less likely to want to reason a situation out and more likely to just throw muscle and aggression at it. Their military training and discipline balanced that. Except when they were fighting in their instincts then the compulsion to fight overrode everything except the territorial instinct.   
  
   
  
It didn't happen often in military situations and only ever when their unit members were under extreme threat. In their instincts they were an invincible fighting force but they were not the clear-headed disciplined soldiers they were when they weren't in their instincts. Strong alphas could still control them but in the past there had always been females with them, unclouded by testosterone and instinct and still able to reason and think their way out of a situation. They had always provided a calming balance.  
  
   
  
"Commanders aren't in the front line anyway are they Alec?" she asked hopefully.   
  
   
  
Pulled out of his thoughts he gazed blankly down at her.   
  
   
  
"Yeah, of course they are," he replied unthinkingly, once her question had penetrated.  
  
   
  
"Yeah. I thought so," she sighed with resignation.  
  
   
  
"But you'll be careful."  
  
   
  
"I'm always careful," he answered absently, reaching for his fatigues his mind already on what he had to do before they left.  
  
   
  
TBC  
  
Please review it not only encourages me it reminds me to update here.  
  
  


	32. Chapter 32 Rated R for Sexual Content

Thanks once again to Kiwi for the slave driving, encouragement, ego boosting and of course the betaring. 

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Buzz look what's just come through from Danny." 

Buzz looked up from the list he'd been scanning and walked over to John's screen. "What the fuck, I've never seen that classification before?" 

"I haven't either," John breathed in awe, "but I know what it is.  Congress doesn't even get to see inside files with that classification. Danny wants us to email him when we've downloaded them and erase their trail at this end and he'll do the same at his end."

"What the fuck are they?"

"He didn't say but he's leaving Langley as soon as he's finished, and he should be here by tonight.  The last two files are just for you and Major Anderson to view until he's had a chance to talk to you."

"Looks like standard military records," John frowned as the screen filled with the standard military service photo of a young shorthaired grunt he recognised as Sir.   As he scrolled quickly past the first record he registered the lieutenants strip in the corner. 

"Must be their military records," he commented redundantly. 

Buzz never one to worry about rank when it came to wet behind the ears Lieutenants absently moved the mouse pad and mouse over to his side. 

"Ring Major Anderson and tell him the Intel we were waiting for is here now," he ordered.  John also quick to recognise a situation were his rank meant nothing, complied without question.

'Sir,' Howl said aloud as he scrolled back to the start of the file and Alec's face appeared in the right hand corner of the first record. Howl started to read. John, his phone call finished, read along with him as they searched through what looked to be the military records of a hell of a lot of very young soldiers. 

"Those them?" Anderson asked as John quickly vacated his seat for him.

"Yeah." This is 494 or Alec as they call him now.  The file starts with him as the highest ranking and contains seven thousand records Sir, from the lowest ranked to the youngest at the end.  This one."

"He's ten years old," Anderson said in bewilderment, as he looked at a full military file complete with the face of a young boy in the corner. He read through his training history.  "Buzz this ten year old has a more comprehensive training history than my lieutenants.

Buzz grunted and scrolled back to Alec's record at the beginning. "Wait until you read the rest sir."

"I've never seen a training record like this," Anderson frowned. "There isn't a course or a test the military has that this kid hasn't done and scored in the top percentile.  It's not physically or intellectually possible," Anderson said sceptically frowning at Alec's record.

Raising his eyebrow Buzz pointed to the IQ assessment score, and then he pointed to the record of perfect scores.  Anderson didn't even register it.  His attention was totally focused on the one test score.  "It's not possible to score 100% in that test," Anderson snorted in disgust.  'The highest recorded score to date is 75% and he was considered a strategic genius.  Where the hell did Tremaine get this crap?" Ten-year-old boys better trained than his lieutenants, what shit.

"Tremaine didn't get them Sir we haven't had his Intel yet.  This stuff came straight from Danny," John said, as Buzz closed out of the file to show Anderson the classification.

Anderson stared at the screen uncomprehendingly.  John stood respectfully behind him saying nothing while Anderson assimilated what that classification meant.  Its not every day a father gets to look at his son's career go down the tubes.

You stupid little prick, Anderson thought as he stared sightlessly at the screen. What the hell were you thinking?  Why the fuck didn't you just leave it to Tremaine and me?

"Danny said to tell you he'll be here by 1700 hrs tonight Sir."  He fucking better have legit travel orders.

"There's no service record here," Anderson bit out finally.  "What the fuck sort of personal file doesn't have his active history?"

"There are two other files Sir.  We're supposed to keep them to ourselves until we've had a chance to discuss them with Danny."

What the fuck could be more sensitive than this? Anderson thought his eyes riveted on the classification now back on the screen in front of him.

Buzz waited until the room had cleared before he opened the next file.  Again Alec's face was the first on the screen. It was the same set-up as the previous file with highest to lowest ranking appearing first but this time it was their service records.

As they opened the file they found themselves looking at the same classification.  Anderson felt that prickle of unease that as a soldier he never discounted.  "Scroll to the last one Howl.  Lets have a look at what they do with six-year-old soldiers with more training than our elite core."

Silently they read through the sparse service record, consisting solely of training exercises until they got to one of the later entries, detailing the date and circumstances of his first kill.  Buzz scrolled back to the blank emotionless face of the ten year old and Anderson's eyes flicked from the kids picture to the barcode below and across to the large red Transgenic that appeared in the same place on every record.

"What the fuck were these assholes doing?"

Silently Buzz bought up Alec's service record.

"It's three times as fucking long as mine and I'm fifty and considered to have had a very active service career. First full field campaign Uraganda when he was fifteen.  How the fuck can this be right? That was a bloody no holds fucking disaster like Tranzistran.  It was another rescue, special ops units carried out the only troops that made it out off there. They were all seasoned veterans, how the fuck would he have survived that, and who the fuck would have sent him in?"

"His whole unit where there Sir, and they not only survived but they were the special ops soldiers that brought the others out." Buzz said pointing to the notes attached to that entry. 

Three hours later Anderson leaned back in his chair. "We're going to need help with this.  Just referencing Alec's active assignments and cross-referencing them with the records of soldiers from other units has taken us this long. The scary thing Buzz, is we've only really looked at the service history of a few of these soldiers so what we've just read is probably only the tip of the iceberg."

"At least half of these campaigns have been rescue missions against impossible odds, Buzz.  The scope and extent of the actions these soldiers have been on is amazing.  However the other campaigns have been straight out acts of terrorism by American soldiers on foreign soil."

"Do you know what we've got here Buzz?" Anderson asked sitting back from the consul.

"Yes Sir.  A violation of every human and constitutional right these kids have."  Buzz snorted humourlessly.

"As well as that.  We've got treason and duplicity the like of which I've never seen.  Some very dirty very high up people within both the Services and the Government are responsible for these soldiers being headquartered and managed. They may be Transgenic but they're also American born or American made and however you choose to see it they have been engaged in aggressive acts on foreign soils that have not been sanctioned by Congress or the American people. That's treason. 

"So what you're saying is they're in even more shit than we first thought?"

"Yeah, probably Buzz.  I don't know," Anderson said tiredly. 

"If only a few more of the soldiers they've rescued on the shit details their command sent them on, are as grateful as you and Danny obviously are, then they are going to have a hell of a lot of friends, once we make it known that those special ops units on all of these extractions were Transgenics. 

"They might also find themselves with quite a lot of powerful friends with the relatives as well.  General Quinn's son Damian was one of the ones extracted during that Uraganda fiasco, and there will be other relatives who may be in a position to help them.  Who knows?"

"But at the moment it doesn't look good.  I've been analysing the surveillance footage from the cams of the birds I sent out on recon, and from what I can see they have soldiers scattered in a defensive pattern around central Seattle in what looks to be a twenty-mile radius. We can't see their numbers now but on the strength of what we've read here, I'm guessing that all we'll be recording is what this 494 wants us to record."

"Alec," Buzz corrected. 

"Based on these records there were originally seven thousand of these people.  How many have managed to survive and have gathered here, we can only speculate.  But lets assume based on the cams footage that he has a thousand active soldiers.  That's probably a generous estimate, because most of them probably scattered across the country when their facility burned.  Even with the optimistic estimate of a thousand soldiers they can't realistically maintain that long a line of defence.  It's just not logistically possible. At this base alone we have seven thousand active personnel and out number them 6:1 without factoring in what Washington will send against them once they know what's happening."

Sighing Buzz looked at him.  "Sir, these are not ordinary soldiers and I think it's a mistake to assume they are.  You've seen those records.  They were sent as children to rescue seasoned soldiers out of impossible situations. Well they're no longer children and I don't want to be firing on them Sir, not just because I consider them my friends, but also because I don't particularly want to die."

"Two units, that's sixty two soldiers got two hundred of us back over enemy infested territory that we'd already lost sixteen hundred soldiers to.  If Alec has a twenty-mile defensive grid around Seattle then he knows he can defend it, Sir or he wouldn't be there."

"On that weeklong trek he lost no soldiers and neither did we.  He should have, but we didn't because they just don't let you quit and they don't quit on you. They don't even let you die, Sir," he added, remembering Tanya's voice in his ear as she hectored him not to give up. "He would never have his soldiers exposed if he couldn't protect them, and if it wasn't for a purpose he thought he could achieve."

"Times are desperate for them Buzz. They're being hunted and exterminated.  Their women and children killed.  Desperate men take desperate chances."

Buzz sighed.  "That test Sir, the Advanced Strategy and Paradigms for Defence," he read from the screen.  "This one that you said it was impossible to score 100% in.  Do you doubt his score in that after reading the rest of these records?"

Anderson remembered how proud he'd been when he'd been offered the opportunity to take that examination.  An opportunity only offered to the elite of military officers and how proud he'd been of his 49% score.

"No, I don't doubt his score," he said finally.  So where does that leave us in your opinion then, Buzz?"

"I don't know where it leaves you Sir, but I know where it leaves me and the one hundred and eighty still surviving soldiers who came out of Tanzanstran with those Units.  They've all been contacted by now and most are already on their way here. With or without travel orders. Those that aren't coming are staying at their posts because we think they'll be more use to us there, than they will here.  They've already started to arrive and at the moment we're billeting them with other survivors across the base, but we're prepared to locate this operation off base if you would prefer it, Sir."

"What operation Buzz?"  Anderson asked feeling that prickle of foreboding again.

"Operation Life for Life, Sir, they gave us back our lives and we're going to make sure, to the best of our ability, that they keep theirs."

"Does that include treason Buzz?"

"Treason to me is just a word, Sir.  I was trained to protect my comrades on the battlefield.  I've never been ordered against them before and if it happens here, then I won't be firing on them, Sir.  To me that would not only be treason but against every moral ideal I was taught to hold dear.  These transgenics are American military, born and trained and it would be treason in my mind to help those who have already used them to commit acts of abomination against humanity, and are now trying to exterminate them in order to cover their own tracks.

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Anderson looked around the crowded room and its mix of ranks, race and age.  It had been along while since he'd mixed with such a disparate group of soldiers.  For the most part his soldiering was now confined to high-level meetings with either his own rank or senior ranks.  He'd missed this grass roots soldiering.

His eyes went pensively to the two enlarged images taken from the military records of Tanya and Ana and now pinned to the operations board, along with their service records and whatever other data already accumulated on the search that had begun  for them today. Despite the austere photo's they still looked more like pin up girls than the well-trained seasoned soldiers their records showed them to be.

His glance lingered on the medals of honour pinning the pictures to the wall, more of them running in lines across the bottom of the board.  There had to be over a hundred and fifty military decorations Anderson thought dispassionately, just a small sample of the honours won by these men while on that campaign. 

His eye fell on his son.  Danny had done a fucking stupid thing in liberating those files. Anderson knew as had Danny when he'd redirected them, that while it would be possible to hide where he'd sent the files, it would be impossible to disguise the fact that he'd accessed them.  Danny's military career that he loved was most definitely over.  Sacrificed to protect people he thought he owed a debt to.  Anderson didn't like what he'd done but he couldn't help but be proud of him. 

He couldn't help but admire this whole effort really. The energy and focus in this room was a tribute to both their training and the ideals they'd been trained to protect. Nor could he wait to meet this Alec, or the other soldiers who'd inspired the kind of admiration and loyalty that would bring all these men from disparate units together from all parts of the country in an effort to help them.

They'd all worked through the night analysing and cross matching the service records, and the medical records found in the third file, with the supplementary data that Tremaine had provided, trying to build a full history of the military lives of the transgenic soldiers.  What they'd unearthed was just as Anderson had suspected. American soldiers used as pawns in acts of global terrorism and without congressional approval.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec's plan was simple.  The first units onto the base neutralized the skeleton defence crew that a facility not on alert and safe within its own borders had rostered for duty at 0300 in the morning. They knew the Base's routine, they'd been here many times over the last six months to pilfer small bits of equipment and supplies that would have be written off as black market heists. Today they were here to strip the base of everything they needed.  Biggs had even come with what Tav had mockingly called his shopping list.

"Tanner to alpha one, Tyler, Drago and Dale's units in place. All targets secure, over."

"Roger that Tanner, our targets also secure.  See you at headquarters, over."

"Roger that alpha one, over."

As his unit made their way stealthily across the sleeping base toward Headquarters Alec was reminded of one of the most basic military precepts, always expect the unexpected. Howl's brass had been caught napping tonight with their Base sleeping and virtually unprotected. Blending into the shadows they waited the five minutes it took Tanner's unit to get there.

Signing that the trouble he'd encountered was sorted, Tanner nodded to Alec and they stepped from the shadows and blurred to the main doors.

"Major Anderson," the excited voice broke over the speaker in the corner. "This is Comms we've got something on camera, coming in the main doors. I'm feeding it through to you now, Sir."

Anderson's eyes swung to the lone security screen in the corner of the room, and not for the first time he cursed the cheap bastards in Washington who wouldn't give him the money for the personnel and equipment he needed to secure his base properly.

"What the fuck."  On his feet his gun in his hand he watched helmeted armoured soldiers stream through his main doors and into his headquarters.

"We've locked down the comms room and we're sending out a distress call sir."

"And so it begins."

Anderson recognized Buzz's voice as he instinctively tried to flick a hand off his wrist, before he realized it was Danny who was trying to disarm him.

"Give it up Dad or they'll kill you."

Anderson could already hear the ominous pounding of their feet as they ran down his corridor, and the noise of doors hitting the walls as they'd kicked them open.

"All guns on the table and face the wall," Danny snapped out harshly, disarming Anderson, slamming him against the wall and restricting him from moving with his own body, just as the door to their room was kicked in and the first black clad soldiers circled into the room their guns ranging over the backs of the ordinary soldiers with their hands now spread against the walls they were facing.

"This is Alpha one, I need back up north west corridor fifth door, over. One hundred viables. Status currently surrendered. Move it, over." he bit out harshly.

"Don't move any of you or your fucking dead.  Nobody has to be a hero here.  You with the Lieutenant stripes.  What the fuck are you doing?  Get the hell back from him. Now." Alec ground out.  "Keep your hands clear and in the air," he ordered as Danny moved back from Anderson.  "Turn around and face me.  You to granddad.  Do it, now." 

Hands on his head Anderson followed his son's lead and turned slowly around.  He could tell by the silence and the exchange of glances with the soldier beside him that whoever was giving the orders had obviously recognised Danny. There goes my 'secure' Comms room Anderson thought disgustedly, hearing an explosion. Cheap Washington bastards.

 "Keep your hands on your heads and turn around and face me now," Alec ordered the soldiers still facing the wall as his reinforcements began pouring into the room, guns at the ready.

Alec's eyes ranged slowly over them. "What the fuck?"  He recognised all their faces.  Delta Op. the guys they'd trucked out of Tranzanstran.  But that been a special operation comprised of ordinary soldiers from all different units. What were the odds of them even being together again, let alone all meeting up here like this?

His gun still trained on them Alec pulled his helmet off, as did the rest of his and Tanner's units.

Anderson thought you could have cut the air with a knife as both sides stared at each other.  He could hear the men behind him start to snap into salutes and watched with interest as the transgenics saluted in return.  Even the mocking indolent, Tanner, didn't seem unwilling this time. Obviously the respect between these two groups was mutual.

Alec appraised the men in front of him, they'd only served together for a couple of weeks but it had been under intense conditions and as people in extreme circumstances do they had come to know each other pretty well. This collection of men were some of the best ordinary soldiers he'd ever served with.

"Why are these here, Anderson?" Tav demanded. Narrow eyed and suspicious he jerked his head at the pictures of Tanya and Ana pinned on the notice board.

Anderson thought he was talking to him until Danny answered from beside him.  "Tanner told Buzz they're missing so we've started to look for them."

When Max had told him that Buzz was going to look for Tanya and Ana, Alec had been surprised and hadn't really known what to make of it. "Why would you do that Danny?"

"Because they both helped save our lives.  You all saved our lives and we owe you a debt for that."

"A debt huh." His expression sceptical Alec's eyes swept over them all again before he went and stood beside Tav and Tanner as they read the Intel that had already been pinned on the wall.

"It can't hurt Alec, maybe they can come up with something we haven't."  Tav offered.

Alec snorted doubtfully and swung back around.  "You. Major Anderson isn't it?  I understand you wanted to meet with me. Well here I am.  What did you want?" he asked smirking.

"Then I just wanted to meet you.  Now I want to know what the hell you're doing on my base?"

"Shopping, Major that's all.  Once we've got what we want then we'll be on our way." 

"Where did you get their military records from?"  Tanner demanded pulling his brooding eyes off the pictures. His glance falling on the computers.  He was already on his way over to them before he'd finished talking.

Looking over Tav and Tanner's shoulders as they started to scroll through the files, Alec whistled in surprise his eyes flicking to Danny when he saw the classification.

"Where did these files come from?" he asked, narrow eyed as he realized he was looking at their full military records complete with service and medical.. Fuck if this information got out their enemies would be able to stir even more shit for them. If that's even possible he thought sardonically?  Just the raw data was damning enough to whip up public opinion against them to fever pitch how much worse would it be if someone starting cross referencing their military movements with historical military actions.

"Send it all to TC now," Alec ordered. "Then destroy it.  Can we track it to it's source and destroy it there too?" 

"Give us a few minutes to have a look around,"  Tav answered.

"What's going on Danny?"  His hard eyed gaze swept over Anderson and lighted on Danny.

"I stole the files and sent them down here.  We needed Intel on you to help us figure out how we can help you."

"That shit won't help anyone but our enemies."

"Maybe, but its all we got. We haven't really had a chance to analysis it yet, but from what we've seen so far we just might be able to use it to help you." Danny said.  "We owe you, and according to those records so do a lot of others and we want a chance to repay that debt."

"I've sent the files to Dix and erased the trail from here. The trail back to where they came from is cold.  I can't track it back," Tav said.

"I forwarded them from Langley and killed the trail myself so they're untraceable," Danny said.

"Can they be traced to you?"

"Yeah, I didn't have the security clearance to kill the trail to me."

Frowning his mind working furiously Alec ran through the data. They'd got this Intel because they felt they owed them a debt and wanted to help. Could he trust them? His eyes swept their faces again, lingering on the pictures of Tanya and Ana and back to Danny before they flicked to Anderson.

"What's his deal?  Does he just want to 'help' us too?" Alec snorted.

"I'm his father," Anderson supplied his eyes steady on Alec's.

Surprised Alec's gaze swung back to a shrugging Danny. 

Anderson could see his dilemma.  He respected Danny and the rest of the men here and to some extent he probably trusted them. Men that had fought together as closely and under the extreme conditions these men had usually formed a bond. But he also considered himself now on the opposite sides of a war he was fighting for the survival of his people. Who could he really trust?

"John get on the phone and get someone from supplies up here with some requisition orders for the supplies these soldiers need?" Anderson ordered making one of the quick decisive decisions he was renowned for. All eyes in the room swung to him.

"I don't think you quite understand what's going on here Major. All your barracks and personnel are locked down and I have control of your base.  We aren't on the same side and I don't need requisition forms I'm just gonna take what I want."

"If you do that then I'll have to report your activity to my superiors and then this base plus the considerable might of the American Armed Forces will be ordered against you.  Before Danny and the rest of these men have had a chance to find a way to help you.  You'll fill out the req forms in the proper manner just like the rest of my soldiers," he ordered without preamble.

"Before you do that John, you'd better get me General Quinn. Comm's would have sent an automatic distress call to him and I'll have smooth that over." His eyes locked with Alec's Anderson waited for a sign of agreement.

Alec's confused conflicted eyes moved from Anderson to Danny to Howl before flicking to Tav who nodded and Tanner who shrugged his agreement. 

Nodding his agreement Alec waited as the calls were placed and listened while Anderson apologised and explained that the distress call had just been a drill that comms had gone live with in error. 

"How long ago did you download these records Danny?" Alec asked into the silence when Anderson had finished and while Biggs and the supply sergeant went through Bigg's list. 

"About twelve hours ago."

"Give me the access codes to the computer you used and we'll get someone to erase the trail back to you."  One good turn deserves another.

"I can't do that Alec I work for Langley that would be treason."

"Give them to him Danny," Anderson said wearily. "Treason is now academic."  And trust is a two way street Anderson thought gratefully. If they could save Danny's career for him well and good.

"I'll give you all the housekeeping supplies you need and these, and these, and these and half of the rest," Anderson said as he flicked through signing the requisition forms Biggs had handed to him, but if I give you anymore Birds or the rest of this stuff, then my base will be non viable and quickly come to the attention of my superiors, making the whole point of this exercise redundant."

Alec flicked through the forms. Frowning his assessing eyes back on Anderson he jerked his head to Biggs and they made their way over to where Tanner and Tav were still busy at the computers.

"We've sent their entire data base to Dix and covered our tracks so they'll be none the wiser, and Dix is working on erasing that trace from Washington so nothing can be traced back to Danny."  Tav said.

"Here's what he proposes to give us.  What do you think?" Alec asked as they looked through the requisition forms.

"I can make do with the munitions, but its not ideal," Tanner commented.

"Yeah, I can make do as well," Biggs said comparing his list. "Is it worth forgoing the equipment for some pie in the sky unspecified help they may or may not be able to give us?" he asked shrugging.

"What do you think Tanner?" 

Tanners glance ranged over Howl and Danny and the men standing behind them.  "My gut says we trust them," he said finally his eyes back on the pictures of Tanya and Ana.

"Yeah, I feel the same," Tav said.  But I want us working alongside them. I want to see what they're doing every step of the way."

"Yeah," Alec agreed.

"Biggs?"

"Yeah, why not.  I can make do," he said glancing from Danny and the men behind him to his list again.

"All right we take what he's offered and we accept their help. We've got nothing to loose.  We can always hit the base again for what we still need.  We'll be in the same strategic position as before as long as we can trust them not to notify this raid any further up the chain."

"Yeah, we accept what you're offering us" Alec said nodding abruptly at Anderson.

"And we also accept that you guys want to help us and we'll work with you to give you what information you think you need to do that.  Howl and you that is Danny," he clarified dismissing Anderson.  Unable to suppress the emotion he couldn't help feeling his eyes moved slowly over the rest of them catching individual eyes as they nodded in acceptance.

Anderson had watched him confer with his men with interest.  There were two units here, Tanner's and his own just like in Tanzistran, but how many other units did he have across the base and how many more waited outside in the shadows outside the base.  I would have brought every soldier I had in case something went wrong. Once I've figured out how to debrief my men about a raid that never happened.  I should have a bit of an idea of his numbers Anderson thought humourlessly.

"This is Dix, Max has been shot Alec.  I say again Max has been shot, over"

Something's up. Pulled out of his thoughts Anderson's eyes following an ashen-faced Alec and one of his men as they sprinted for the door. 

"Did you just say Max has been shot Dix?"  Signing to Tanner to finish up and with Tav on his heels Alec ran for the door.

"She's okay it was just a shoulder wound, over."

"What the fuck do you mean it's just a shoulder wound? She's pregnant how then hell can she be okay?

"The babies all right, over."

"How the fucking hell can he be?  His mother's just been shot."  Alec shouted in panic into his comms unit.

"Calm down Alec, the baby is being monitored and they're both fine."  Dix repeated.

"What the hell is happening?  Are they under attack?  Why aren't they on channel?"  Get me channel to her now," he demanded.

"I can't Alec, she's on a machine so they can monitor the baby.  Radio and telephone units interfere with the machines."

"Kat what the hell is going on, over" he demanded irately.

"Alec Sit-rep clear.  Max has a minor gunshot wound. Kat is in with Max, no comms in there, they interfere with the babies monitor, over."

"Jane, tell Max I'm coming straight back and I'll be there in fifteen minutes, over." 

"The airfield Tav," he snapped as they commandeered Anderson's jeep. "A chopper will be quicker."

By the time he'd made it down from the helipad on the roof it had been twenty minutes and Max had counted every minute.

He didn't even notice Cass trying to make herself invisible in the corner.  He was too intent on Max his gaze sweeping from the heavy bandage on her shoulder to her stomach before it flicked to the ultra sound screen. Immediately locating the little figure pulsing with life at the bottom of the screen his relief was immediate and overwhelming, quickly followed by a savage rage as his gaze went back to the dressing marring her shoulder.

"Hey Maxi." He gently stroked the side of her face his other hand going to hers on the top of her stomach just below her breasts, the only place available because of the gadgetry attached to her stomach.

"The baby's been distressed. Cass says his heartbeat is much too fast and I can just feel something is wrong." Her eyes huge with worry went in agitated panic back to the screen.  His followed hers to the little pulsating outline.  He did seem to be moving faster than last time he thought in alarm.

As soon as he'd arrived both their heart rates had dropped back significantly. That the baby's had adjusted lower almost instantaneously was surprising, the baby's rate normally followed the mothers at a slower rate. Cass had hoped that once he got here he'd be able to calm her down.  Her rate had dropped but Max still had a way to go before both their stress levels dropped enough to avoid the baby getting into real distress.

"Alec." Cass ignored the coldness in his eyes as they flicked momentarily to her before back to the foetal monitor again.  "Max is very stressed and worried and the baby has sensed this and that is what's causing its distress.  The way to calm the baby down is to calm Max down."

His eyes flicked back to the screen. Max's shoulder injury hadn't hurt the baby so he wasn't injured, but it would make sense that he would be able to sense Max's distress, just like he himself could.

"You weren't hurt anywhere else but your shoulder were you Maxi?  You didn't get hit or anything did you?" he clarified his hand back on the side of her face as he turned her fixated gaze away from the screen.

Cass watched the screen in fascination as the baby's heart rate pegged back again.  Amazing its almost as if it's responding to his voice.

"No just my shoulder."  She moved away from his hand her eyes quickly back on the screen.

"This is the baby's heartbeat," Cass explained pointing to the small screen with the moving red dot. "This is the range it was in when I did the first ultra sound."  Her hand moved backwards along the continuum.  "This is where it is now. To get it back in this range," she pointed backwards. "You're going to have to make a conscious effort to relax Max.  I know that your injury must be painful but the baby needs to get the sense that all is well with you again.  From what I've seen transgenic babies seem to be even more acutely tuned to the mother's moods than human babies."

 "What would you know about transgenic babies anyway?" Alec snapped coldly.

"All babies are the same in the womb, the mother is the source of everything, and if she's distressed then they're distressed.  I've only had four transgenic patients but its something that was apparent very quickly.  When I'd first start to treat them they were always very worried and stressed and their heart rates would be up and so would their babies, but once they'd been to see me a few times they became less stressed and the babies heart rate came down accordingly."

Alec remembered Tav telling him he'd been with Rain as guard when she came for her scan. "Are you trying to tell me you knew they were transgenics, and you still treated them without turning them in the sector police or demanding payment of some sort" he snorted in disbelief.

"As soon as I put them and their babies on the monitors I knew there physiology was different but I didn't really know why until a few months ago until all the publicity about transgenics.  And I was paid for it."

Derisively Alec's lip curled as his hard eyes met hers. 

"The hospital pays me," she added her eyes back on her work. She could feel his eyes on her.

Alec's eyes swung back to Max moving between her and the screen.  He could literally feel her tension under the hand he held on her stomach, and if he could feel it then the baby certainly could.

"The baby also seems to be responding to you Alec." Cass said.  "Its heart rate dropped back when you arrived and has again each time you've spoken, it seems to be able to sense you and that is calming it down."

"He, not it," Alec snapped. 

Max and Alec both watched in fascination when the monitor again registered the baby's reaction to his voice.

"This little one wants to calm down and he's seeking reassurance.  There's no real need for me to be here now Max," Cass said. "The only thing that will calm the baby down is for you to relax and Alec is better able to help you do that than me.  I'll pop back in an hour and I expect the babies heartbeat to be back down here," she said pointing to the monitor.

"What if something goes wrong?"  Max asked in agitated panic.

"Nothing is going to go wrong.  That baby is as strong as an ox and so are you, and all it needs is to feel safe and secure again and that will only happen once you calm down and stop worrying about him." Reassuringly she squeezed Max's hand, but if anything were to go wrong then, I'm here." she smiling at Max.

"My brother's outside the door send him in on your way out."

Yes Sir. Well he still hadn't said please, but at least he didn't sound so hostile.

"Maxi. Max," Alec repeated, when she didn't react and continued to stare at the screen.  "Look at me Max." he nuzzled the side of her face until she finally turned toward him.

"Everything is gonna be okay. This will never happen again I promise.  Tomorrow we're all going back to TC."

"No we're not, Alec" she sighed. "We can't yet.  It's still to soon for Steve and Reuben to travel. Dex reckons at least another four days here before we can take them back."

"Alec is everything okay?" Tav interrupted his gaze sweeping from Alec and onto Max. "Is he alright?" he asked coming further into the room staring at the screen.

"He's fine just a bit stressed because Max is."

"Why does everyone keep assuming he's a boy? See, you've even got me doing it," she laughed rolling her eyes in exasperation as Alec smirked at her.

"You can see he's a boy in the picture Alec's got and look at that," Tav said pointing to the umbilical cord.  "He's obviously been blessed with the family endowment," he beamed with approval.

Max snorted indelicately.

"Just get me another bed will you Tav? Alec laughed. "This one's too small for the both of us. You'll also have to monitor comms for the next couple of hours for me."

"I can't wait until we can get back to our nice comfortable bed in TC." Alec said grimacing as he tried to get comfortable on the bed he'd pushed alongside hers.

One hand stroking her hair he nestled into her side his other hand back on her stomach.  Already she felt less tense. Carefully he navigated around the equipment attached to her stomach and curved his hand around the slight swell of her lower abdomen where he instinctively knew the baby lay. As they watched the baby's heart rate start to move slowly backwards on the monitor, his smile of relieved happiness equalled hers.

"It's amazing that his instincts are already so keenly attuned to us that he knows when I'm upset and he can even recognise your voice," Max marvelled.

"Yeah," Alec agreed in awe. "Can you feel him moving inside you?"

"Yeah, sometimes I think so, just tiny little flutters.  Cass said three months would be too early to feel a human baby moving but she thinks transgenic babies seem to be bigger babies overall and that what I am feeling is definitely movement. Soon you'll be able to feel it too," she smiled her eyes roaming his face as he stared in engrossed fascination at the screen.

"Alec," she gasped, "I forgot in all the commotion I lost track of the channel to you.  Did everything go all right at the Base?"

"Yeah. It went brilliantly I left Tanner to finish up. No casualties. I'll tell you about it later," he said hastily, his alarmed eye on the heart rate monitor starting to move upwards again. Frowning he looked her over. "Just relax Maxi," he soothed brushing her lips with his.

If the baby could sense her anxiety as easily as this then it was even more important to keep things calm and serene around her.  Something he'd proved a dismal failure at so far he thought unhappily, feeling abysmally inadequate as he remembered the disruptions during her heat and thinking about the bandage on her shoulder.

"Dix told me on my way back that it was a black market drug hit."

"Yeah they already had the weapons stashed in the hospital, that's how they weren't picked up by the checkpoints.  Cass says it's a regular thing that happens on average every couple of months and they usually just give them what they want.  But they'd already killed one of the nurses and they would have killed Cass when she tried to help her.  I wasn't going to let them get away with that."

"No," Alec agreed his arms tightening around her he grimly suppressed his feeling of rage that she could have died trying to protect people that considered her less than human and who wouldn't have lifted a finger to help her if the situations had been reversed.

"I'm sorry Maxi," he mumbled, the words sticking in his throat as he thought about what could have happened today. 

"Why are you sorry Alec?"

When he didn't answer she turned her face into his still buried against her neck  "Its not your fault," she whispered. 

"It was just one of those things that could have happened to anyone, Alec. Its not your fault," she repeated stroking his hair when he still hadn't moved or said anything.

"Yeah, it is.  This shouldn't have happened to you.  You should be safe and secure when you're pregnant and not have all the things to worry about that you do. I should have protected the both of you better than this."

"I can look after myself Alec and you've always protected me, you've never let me down, and nothing is going to happen to me or the baby." She ran her fingers through his hair her lips curving in a slow smile remembering how often he'd soothed her fears with the same words.

"You could have been killed today and I wasn't even here.  How is that protecting you?"

"You and I have both kept each other alive long past what we would have survived without each other and we'll keep doing that, Alec.  I sure as hell am not going to let anything happen to you and you'll never let anything happen to me, and the bits around the edges like today, we just have to trust each other to deal with." 

"I know you can look after yourself Max, that's not the point. I don't want you to have to while you're pregnant.  I want you safe and happy with nothing to worry about."

He couldn't bear to think what he would do if anything happened to either of them, he couldn't even begin to imagine his life without her, he wouldn't want to be alive if she wasn't with him.  He closed his eyes swallowing the lump of dread he suddenly felt in the back of his throat. What if something happened to him and he was no longer around to protect them? Who'd protect and love his son if he wasn't there to do it himself?  Who'd be there for Max so she wouldn't be on her own again like she'd been before him?  He pulled back to look at her his worried eyes moving between her and the screen.

"His heart rate was back to where Cass said it should be." Max smiled her relief.

"Yeah, I noticed. " His hand on her cheek he turned her face toward him. "Max if anything were to happen to me you'd stay with my unit wouldn't you?" he asked his eyes intent on her.

"Nothing is going to happen to you Alec. Nothing," she said fiercely.

"We've never talked about this before Max but we need to now. I don't intend for anything to happen to me either, and I've told you I'm hellva hard to kill, but I need to know that if something did happen then you and the baby would be safe and cared for with my unit.  I just need to know it Max." When her glance slid off his he turned her face back to him again.

"Max."

"I don't want to talk about this Alec.  If we make plans for it, then it becomes a possibility.  Nothing is going to happen to you," she reiterated fiercely.

"I need to know that Tav and Steve and the rest of them will be there to protect the baby and you if I'm not.  Promise me Max," he insisted. 

"Hmpf we'd have to look after Tav not the other way around," she huffed in an effort to distract him.  "Yeah and that would be happening as well," he agreed, turning her head back until her eyes caught his again."

"Yeah, Alec," she said softly when he wouldn't release her eyes. "I promise.  But nothing is going to happen to you?" she entreated her eyes dark with dread.

"Not if I can help it Max, no, but I just need to know you'll both be okay," he explained his eyes back on the screen again.

"Yeah, she agreed her throat thick with emotion as she pulled his head down to her and rubbed her cheek against his. If anything happened to her she knew that Kat and Cece and the rest of his pack would be there to help him raise the baby and it was a comforting feeling. That Alec should want and need the same comfort was understandable.

"I love you Alec and you better stay alive."

"Yeah."  We're all going to say alive he vowed silently as his mouth claimed hers.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Time to wake up," Alec said shaking Tav's foot as he made his way past on his way to the bedroom.

"These hospital beds are the pits," Tav moaned, sitting up on the bed they'd set up for him in the lounge of the ordinary doctors small apartment.

"Stop your complaining.  Its better than the floor with the rest of the unit," Alec said in exasperation. "How's she feeling?" 

"She's said the pain is all gone and she's been asleep for a lot of the day so that's good isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"It's amazing what mothers will put up with to protect their babies isn't it?"  Tav said referring to the fact that Max had spent an uncomfortable four days without pain medication for her injury because of her fear of the meds crossing the placenta and affecting the baby.

"Yeah," Alec answered curiously picking up on his contemplative mood.

"Do you ever think about our mother?" Tav asked.

"Yeah, I have done a bit since Max has been pregnant."

"Yeah, me too," Tav agreed frowning thoughtfully as he pulled on his shirt.  "What do you want done about that business in sector four tonight?" he asked as he bent down and fastened his boots."

"See what happens when you go back in tonight and make the call based on that."

"Yeah okay," Tav agreed pulling on his jacket.  "See you in a few hours then."

"Yeah, and thanks, I appreciate it."  Alec said gesturing with his head toward the bedroom where Max slept.

Tav shrugged his shoulders as he opened the door. "She's okay, I didn't mind."

Alec opened the bedroom door smiling in happy anticipation.   He'd passed Dex in the hall and he'd passed her as fighting fit, which meant their days of frustrated celibacy were over.

"Is my baby sitter gone then?" she asked from where she sat propped in the middle of the bed the sheet wrapped across her breasts. "And I hope you're not the second shift because that's not what I want from you tonight. She pointed quickly to her shoulder. "See small dressing, no pain, all better. Get your clothes off and come here?" she demanded in one impatient breath.

"Why Maxi tut tut, such haste."  Smirking slyly he slowly started to undo the buttons on his shirt.  She dropped the sheet to her waist and wiggled enticingly down the bed her arms spread wide and her legs open suggestively under the sheet.  "Hurry up Alec," she moaned.

His eyes fixed on her as she wiggled in impatient frustration and he hastily stripped the rest of his clothes off. Pulling back the sheet he ran his hot eyes over her. 

"Come here," she moaned squirming eagerly.  When he came quickly down and nestled between her thighs her arms and legs immediately closed around him. Clinging to him with all her limbs she buried her face against his neck and breathed in his musky familiar scent.  "It's been four days now, how could you make me wait that long.  I've missed you so much," she murmured into his ear.

His breath was warm and moist against her lips as he leaned over her.  "It was torture for me too Max but we can always make up for lost time," he smiled suggestively, slanting his mouth down over hers his tongue flicking inside the warm moist haven.

Delicately she touched her tongue to his a soft low moan of contentment rose from deep in her throat as she kissed him and  felt the welcome familiar heat bloom, and little fingers of tingling sensation danced down her body wherever it made contact with his.

It had only been four days since he'd been able to hold her like this but it seemed a lot longer. No sex until she'd healed had been torture. Made even harder by the fact that she would keep saying she had no pain and entice him and then when he'd touch her he'd know that it was only wishful thing on her part and she was still hurting. A long sighing gasp when he drew her taut nipple into his mouth made him smile, at least he had the consolation of knowing she'd missed this as much as he had.

Max couldn't keep still, couldn't stop from rubbing against the bold thrust of his arousal she could think of nothing but relieving this ache of need she had for him.  "How did I ever used to live without this Alec, without you?" she breathed into his ear. He pulled back to look at her his eyes roaming her upturned face "Don't know Maxi," he smiled leaning back to brush his lips lightly over hers,  "I'm just glad you don't have to."  Burying his face in the delicate curve where her shoulder met her neck he inhaled her scent tasting her skin and savouring the flavour of her on his tongue he wondered the same.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she tilted her head to the side so she could kiss him more fully, the smooth, warm sensation of his mouth as she kissed him back sending a rush of heat and pleasure through her until all that mattered was Alec, his taste his feel, his scent and the wet exciting heat of his mouth.

He could feel her hands stroking his back as she rubbed her abdomen against his cock.  When her hand closed around him his eyes fluttered as he thrust into her hand. She held him cradled between her hand and her stomach as he thrust against her.  She loved it when he did that, when he was just too hot and eager to wait until he was inside her.

Her legs were wrapped around his and her fingers were playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while she kissed him. Her hand continued to squeeze along his cock until his need overrode all other awareness except his compulsion to touch, to taste and to bury himself deep inside her. Sliding his hands along the smooth length of her thighs he urged her legs up and around his back as he moved onto his hands over her.  Looking down between their bodies as she arched her hips up and guided him into her he surged forward and sheathed himself to the hilt inside her hot moist heat.

Her long sighing moan of pleasure when he sank into her and her hot moist tongue that she stroked along his exposed neck as he balanced above her sent a bolt of lust straight to his groin and he began to thrust wildly into her.

"Faster Alec," she moaned into his ear as he drove into her kissing her mouth her neck her breasts anywhere he could reach as he thrust into her harder and faster, the muscles in his arms bulging with the effort. Her hands went to his shoulders her nails digging into him as her legs her hot satiny walls clenched and released around him.

He knew he couldn't last much longer. Again and again he buried himself deep inside her.  He couldn't get deep enough the feeling of her squeezing him made the need for release too powerful to control. He could already feel the tightening in his lower back.  His eyes opened and focused on her flushed face now damp with sweat as she matched him thrust for thrust.

She started to twist and buck under him and as her interior walls started to spasm and his eyes closing he felt the bitter sweet ache of her teeth biting his shoulder.  Sensation started to spiral through him as he buried his face against her neck the muscles in his back bunching as he bucked wildly into an explosive orgasm waves of mind numbing pleasure rolling through him. 

He lay still his weight on his hands but his body still pressed against hers as he savoured her wet heat still pulsing and squeezing him as she held him warm inside her and her hands warm on his back stroked him soothingly.  His breathing was still ragged when he raised his head and leaning on his elbows smoothed her hair away from her temple. Her eyes were closed and her lips moist and swollen from his kisses were parted in a smile of blissful satisfaction. He laughed softly and she opened her eyes. 

"What?" she pouted, squeezing him again with her inner muscles contentment seeping through her. "Didn't I hear you say something about making up for lost time." Balancing on his hands he looked down between their bodies to where they were still joined. Her eyes followed his and when his hot gaze rose to meet hers again she smiled wickedly. 

"I've been asleep all day so unlike you I'm not tired."  Pulling his head down she snaked her tongue into his ear.  " And I think I might just be due for another of my rewards," she whispered throatily.

"I think you just might be due for another of those," he agreed huskily leaning his ear into her mouth.

Rolling onto his back still inside her he took her with him until she was sitting astride him. Hands in her hair cradling her head he brought her face down to him.  "I'm all yours," he whispered against her throat, closing his mouth over the throbbing vibration of her giggle.

TBC

I'm sorry it's taken so long to write this chapter.  I know how frustrating it is to wait for chapters and how easy in a story it is to forget what went before.  I haven't been idle though, I've actually written a standalone with an ending and three chapters of my new story while you've waited Wicked Games which is also at Agora. 

It builds on the HSH universe but because it's not strictly Alec centred its not really appropriate to post at NWP. If you are one of those wanting to know why Alec and the other alphas have an aversion for ordinary medical staff then please read the first chapter of this story.  I think it will be the only story I address this in as I couldn't incorporate it into HSH in a manner I was comfortable with.  Agora's address is   then look for Zac's temple.

__


	33. Chapter 33

Thankyou Rowe for the extreme betaring

This chapter is for my personal whip cracker Kiwi and for my slack assed muse who must have stowed away in Kiwi's luggage when she went on holiday.

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

"Alec."

Alarmed by the tone of her voice Alec looked up from the paperwork he'd been going over with Steve.

"What's the matter?" He was already half way out of his seat when Max grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. His worried eyes went to hers.

"He moved. Not just a little flutter, but a real kick. Hold your hand there. See if he does it again."

Relieved nothing was wrong his face suffused with a big grin Alec's eyes went to hers.

"Lets break for lunch Alec I'll be back in an hour," Steve said roughly getting hastily to his feet.

"What's up with him?" Max frowned as he left the room.

Alec gazed after Steve, feeling some of his pleasure evaporate. He pulled her down onto his lap, her back against his chest. His hands enclosing the small swell of her belly he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Kat was four months pregnant, like you are now, when their baby died. It's a hellva failure for any transgen male to be unable to protect what's his. For someone as alpha as Steve and with as strong an instinct to defend his own... it was an unthinkable failure."

"Even though I know he doesn't begrudge us a single second of our happiness, and I know he'd lay down his life to protect you and the baby, my happiness is a reminder of his failure." Moving his hands caressingly across her belly Alec thought about how distracted and preoccupied Steve had been lately.

"He's spent nearly four years trying to forget what happened and now, suddenly, he's got my pregnant mate in his face and Kat is even more distressed about the fact she can't get pregnant. I think he's feeling like he's failing her again. He's been a lot quieter lately."

_He's quiet enough anyway. _ Max thought to herself.

"Kat and I have been talking about that Alec. There are a lot of women who have been through more than one heat now, and they still haven't become pregnant. Cece, Kat and me are going to talk to Cass about it. There are too many women for it not to be a real concern for all for us now." She could tell by his frown that he wasn't keen on the idea. It was female business, so she knew he wouldn't offer an opinion. Once he realized just how many women were affected by this, she knew he would be just as concerned as they were.

"We're just so lucky, Alec. She stroked her fingers lingeringly across his cheek. "Sometimes when I wake up and you're still asleep beside me and I put my hand on the baby I still pinch myself just to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"Yeah I'm lucky alright. Much luckier than I ever deserved to be." His wry grin conveyed his feelings.

"No, you're not Alec. That isn't true. You do so deserve it. You're the best mate that any female could possibly have and you'll be the best father," she said softly. Angling her neck sideways so she could still see his face, she once again relaxed backwards leaning against his chest. His eyes glanced momentarily off hers; he had that shy embarrassed look he often got when she tried to tell him how much she'd come to admire and respect him

_I have to do it more often. I don't' do it enough._

When his gaze moved back to hers his eyes were serious and intent. He dipped his head and claimed her mouth in a kiss that was both hungry and giving.

"There it is again!" She jumped excitedly, moving his hand lower. "His feet must be down there. Did you feel it?" Turning sideways to look at him she pouted disappointedly when he shook his head. "Just keep your hand there and keep talking. He likes your voice and he might do it for you again."

Alec laughed and keeping his hand where she'd placed it he turned her around until she was sitting on his knee. "I felt that." His grin matched hers when the baby kicked again. "And that," he laughed delightedly his eyes meeting hers. "What does it feel like inside you?"

"Sort of strange but good," she smiled her eyes shinning. "This means he's really growing now."

Her gleeful expression widened his smile. "Only a couple of more weeks until your next scan."

"Yeah," she agreed still grinning happily. "It seems like I've been pregnant for a lot longer than four months. I can't wait until I can hold him."

Alec smiled at her in amusement. If anybody had predicted just five months ago that stroppy, bitchy Max would not only be pregnant, but looking forward to her baby's arrival with this delightful eagerness, he would've have thought they'd been in the sun to long. If they'd also told him that he would be the baby's father then he would have told them to seek help. Yet here he was with his lap full of a happy, content, pregnant Max.

"What are you smiling at Alec?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that... since it won't be long before he's born we should start thinking about names."

"Have you got any that you prefer?" she asked him curiously.

"No." He quickly shook his head. "And I'm not even gonna ask you your preferences. Not with your track record for heinous names," he laughed.

"There's nothing wrong with my naming ability," she said indignantly. "I named you didn't I. Who could have been more aptly named than you." Her eyebrow raise she said stared him down. Except perhaps if I had called you Dick." She huffed getting to her feet.

Amused Alec pulled her back onto his lap. "Yeah well I think I'd like to cast the net a bit wider for his name than whatever object, event or random notion that may catch your fancy once he's born."

"Whatever Alec," she sulked. "But since I'll be the one who has to push him out then I should have the deciding vote on any name."

Alec laughed into her neck. "Yeah, well I can't argue with that Max. You will most definitely be the one pushing him out. For that I am truly grateful."

Smiling, his hand on her chin, he tilted her face up. Still struggling to curb his laughter, his lips covered hers. The kiss went on... and on... until Alec drew back. Her breathing erratic, she gazed up at him, just wanting him to carry on kissing her.

He shook his head regretfully. "We'd better stop. I'm hungry and I've only got half and hour before Steve is back and we'll have to get back to work. That will just have to hold you until tonight, Max."

"Will it indeed?" she laughed and the carefree warmth of it washed over him. She was so much more relaxed and laid back about everything since she'd had that last scan. She was still impatient, and wanted the baby born yesterday, but she finally seemed to have stopped worrying that something would go wrong, and the baby would be snatched away from her.

He knew her newfound serenity had a lot to do with her starting to believe it was truly possible for them to live alongside the ordinary world in peace and safety. That he was responsible for creating the climate of security around her, that enabled her to feel that way was hugely satisfying. It went a long way to assuaging the guilt he'd felt when she'd been injured during the raid at the hospital.

Sliding her hand up his chest, she pulled his head back down to her and touched his lips sweet and gently with hers. "Lucky for you I'm hungry to so I'm happy to wait until tonight. Where are you taking me for lunch then, and don't tell me the Mess either? I hate eating there." she moaned in distaste as they made for the door. "What about that little pizza place that's not far for the civilian area? We could eat there in under an hour."

"I've only got half and hour Max," he complained good-naturedly. _Steve could always wait. He'd been so surly lately that being kept waiting could hardly make him any worse. _

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A Month Later

Max watched idly as Tanner jumped down from behind the wheel of the truck that had just been waived thought TC's main gate. Her interest perked when a tall blonde female slid across into his seat before jumping down behind him. The blonde stood surveying her surroundings in avid wonder. _A tall, leggy gorgeous blonde._ Max observed the flurry of male interest the new arrival's appearance was generating, before the other woman was swallowed up by the transgenics converging on her.

"Tanner. Finally," Alec said from behind her. The relief in his voice making Max turn curiously.

"He disappeared in the middle of a manoeuvre. Not like Tanner," Alec explained absently, on his way past her. He headed directly for Tanner and the group of males still blocking the female stranger from view.

"Kat," Max said without turning around already sensing Kat behind her. "Looks like we've got more new arrivals. At least one more female amongst them as well," she remarked unable to keep the amusement from her voice as she caught a glimpse in between the milling bodies, of the new arrival being enthusiastically hugged by the males in Tyler's unit.

She heard the blonde's excited "Alec!" and watched Alec's startled double take. Instantly he was moving across the yard as fast as he could without blurring. Curiously Max watched the blonde move with the same speed towards him.

"What the fuck!" she spat in fury, when the female launched herself at Alec throwing her arms exuberantly around his neck. Her delighted laugh echoing Alec's as he hugged her.

"Who the hell does she think she's got her hands all fucking over? And what the fuck does Alec think he's doing?"

Kat still gaping in shock at Tanya returned from the dead. Realized to late what Max was thinking, and made an unsuccessful grab for her as Max blurred across the car park. "No Max, wait it's alright. It's..."

Alec overcome with relief and emotion at having Tanya back, hugged her jubilantly. _Threat. _Catching Max's scent, and then the blur of her out the corner of his eye he hastily released Tanya. Whirling in time to intercept Max's furious advance on her. His hands curved protectively over Max's stomach. He deflected Tanya's instinctive self-defensive kick with his own body.

"What the fuck are you doing Max?" His arms around her waist he held her tightly as she struggled to free herself. He grunted in pain as she ran the heel of her boot down his tibia. His eyes went to Tanner holding an equally agitated Tanya, now glaring at Max with a mixture of dislike, panic and bewilderment.

"Just what the hell does she think she's doing?" Max spat over her shoulder, trying to wiggle around so she could see the presumptuous blond slut.

"Who the hell are you? You nasty bitch." Tanya countered.

"Let me go, Alec. I'll fucking deal with you later." Max ground out furiously. _I can fucking smell her all over him._

"Max, listen to me. This is Tanya. She's one of our femal..."

"I don't care what the hell her name is," Max interrupted. "She can learn to keep her fucking hands to herself." The threat inherent in both her voice and in her angry glare propelled Tanya into another indignant attempt to free herself from Tanner's restraining hold.

"Tanya. Alec insistently repeated. "Lost from my pack, and now found Max," he explained his voice low. He was fully aware of the amusement they were generating as she continued to struggle in his embrace. "You're making a fool of yourself," he whispered again. "Stop it," he added more forcefully as she raked her heel painfully down his leg again. "She's a female from our pack." He stressed again trying to get through to her.

_Tanya, from his pack, his youngest female. Lost and now found._ His words finally penetrated her fog of jealous rage. She stopped struggling and turned awkwardly in Alec's embrace until she could see Tanya's uncertain face.

Tanner's was still holding Tanya in much the same fashion as Alec was holding her. Catching his eye she ignored his amused smirk, gathered her dignity as best she could and smiled brightly at Tanya.

"Welcome home Tanya. It's good to have you back with us."

Tanya's eyes widened in shock and her face crumpled in distress. She turned her face into Tanner's chest.

"What? Max shrugged her shoulders in confusion. "I was nice," she hissed sullenly to Alec, whose puzzled gaze was now on Tanya.

As baffled as Alec, Tanner patted a now thoroughly upset Tanya's back. Max hadn't done anything that any other transgenic female wouldn't have done if a female she didn't know had put their hands on her mate. He frowned, scenting Tanya's tears_. She_ _**certainl**y hadn't done anything that would normally make Tanya cry._

"I thought I hadn't forgotten anything important Tanner," Tanya mumbled into his chest. Tanner bent his head so he could hear her muffled words. "I don't remember who she is and Alec's scent is on her. I thought I'd remembered everything important, but I've even forgotten my own pack," she hiccuped. Now everything's all messed up and confused in my head...she trailed off wanly."

"Yes, you have remembered everything right, Tanya," he assured her. "You didn't know Max in Manticore, none of us did. You have no reason to remember her. Alec only mated with her a few months ago." He stroked her hair back from her face and nodded reassuringly when her large, hopeful, liquid eyes met his.

Quickly collecting herself her relief apparent Tanya wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Oh right. Yeah. I thought that," she said regaining her usual aplomb. Turning back to Max she flashed her a huge smile before engulfing a surprised Max in a hug.

"It's so good to meet you," she said with feeling. We were all worried that Alec would slut around forever..." she trailed off catching Alec's quick frown. "I mean...it's good to be back with everyone," she corrected pulling back and smiling brightly at Max.

"I know exactly what you mean." Max laughed, returning her wide smile, her glance flashing to Alec's saccharine grin.

"Tanya," Kat cried in delight pushing her way through the crowd and enveloping her in a big hug. I'd almost given up hope that we'd find you again. Is Ana with you?" she asked hopefully?"

"No. We got separated when Manticore burned. I don't really remember much about what happened before Jake took me. But she doesn't feel dead to me?" Tanya said the emotion thick in her voice.

"Jake, took you?" Alec echoed.

"Yeah, that's the next part of my surprise," Tanner returned blandly, jerking his head toward the truck.

Alec walked over and yanked the door open.

"Hello Alec," Jake greeted nervously after Alec roughly hauled him out and deposited him on his feet in the car park.

Alec's eyes went straight to Tanner.

"They helped her. Saved her life, and they've been hiding her ever since," Tanner explained shrugging as he met Alec's stare.

"They're my new pack," Tanya explained simply coming anxiously to stand beside Jake."

"They?" Alec queried ominously. He watched Mary alight from the truck before his narrowed eyes swung back to connect with Tanner's.

"Mary my wife," Jake said putting his arm protectively around Mary's shoulders.

"Tanner. What the fuck..." The exasperation was thick in Alec's voice.

"It ain't his fault," Jake interrupted. We came with Tanya because she wanted us too, and we wanted to see she was okay. But if you don't want us here then we'll go." Jake added nervously.

Tanya's panicked, anxious eyes went from Mary to Alec and then to Tanner.

"Alec, they're my new pack," she said putting her arms around Alec's waist and hugging him, "Please, I have to keep them with me to protect them."

_Fuck. Women and their new packs_. Patting her back in frustration, Alec rolled his eyes in resigned acceptance. He remembered Kat always telling him that Tanya could twist him around her little finger. "Yeah, all right. They can stay as long as Max agrees."

Alec raised his eyebrow questioningly and Max shrugged her acceptance. Alec glanced past her to Tanner's smugly smirking face.

"Since our civilian territory is full with ordinary military personnel from the Base," Alec continued. "Tanner will have to find a place for them in his territory." He returned Tanner's now glowering, bad tempered scowl with a smirk of his own.

"Tanya." Tav shouted in delight as he and Todd pushed their way through the crowd that had formed around Tanya.

They were all talking and laughing simultaneously with excitement. Max watched Tav swing Tanya off her feet in much the same manner Alec had earlier. Seeing his obvious joy at being reunited with Tanya, reminded Max of her own brothers and sisters. Almost immediately she felt the sadness that thoughts of their loss always brought.

Alec looked down at Max when he felt her arms go around his waist. When her sombre eyes met his, he smiled reassuringly. As always when she was within the comforting circle of his arms Max felt her loneliness start to recede. _This was where she belonged now._

"Ana?" Todd asked, hugging Tanya, enthusiastically, once Tav had released her from his exuberant embrace. He already knew Ana wasn't there. Neither was her scent part of the strange cocktail of mixed smells on Tanya.

"I don't know where she is Todd. We got separated when Manticore burned. I'm sorry." Tanya met his eyes the regret in hers mirrored in his.

"She isn't dead. I know she's still alive.

"Yeah, she feels alive to me too." Tanya pulled back to look at Todd. That he believed Ana was still alive meant something. It wasn't just wishful thinking on her part. Todd had always been as close to Ana as she had been. He would know, just like she would if Ana was dead.

"What are you giggling at Kat?" Max demanded, as they followed Tav, Todd and an excited chattering Tanya towards their building.

"Who me? Kat struggled unsuccessfully to control her amusement. "Nothing. I was just remembering how you scoffed when Alec explained how instinctively possessive transgenic females were, and how you shouldn't ever touch another female's mate unless he was either a member or your pack, or you had a very strong relationship with that female."

"What has that got to do with anything?" Max snapped.

"I'm not possessive or jealous," Max, snorted in irritation, her sideways glance taking in Kat's incredulous expression.

Kat sniggered again.

Resisting the childish urge to stick her tongue out Max ignored her.

Fucking instincts. How fucking embarrassing. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Glumly Tanner watched Regan and the rest of his males as they headed off towards his civilian area, once again loaded down with Jake and Mary's baggage.

His sceptical eyes moved back to Alec's. "I didn't realize your civilian area was full."

"Yeah, Danny moved into the last apartment last week."

"Oh yeah, I forgot he told me he was TC based now. He reckons Dix has better equipment here than they do at the base for breaking into the databases they need to access. Plus our kind are more skilled than they are."

"Yeah, I prefer that he and Howl are on site if we've got their people here anyway."

"It's good what they've done for us so far."

Glancing sideways at him Alec grunted in agreement. That Tanner who had never had a good word for any ordinary, felt their help was valuable was testament in itself to how much Danny and Howl had managed to achieve.

"Getting us on the military payroll was an amazing feat."

"That was Danny's father's idea evidently. He said the Major and General Quinn reckoned that not only was it our right, but it was the least the country owed us," Alec said sceptically.

Every month now the army paid a full wage, commensurate with each soldiers rank into bank accounts set up in the name of every working transgenic soldier either X or freak. The moral boost and feeling of pride and hope that had engendered, had been worth the logistical hassle of electronically transferring those funds, out of nearly four thousand accounts into separate, disguised accounts held in the name of each Unit.

"Amazing what you can achieve if you know the right people," Tanner snorted.

"It was Anderson's idea, but it was General Quinn who made it happen." Alec said admiringly. It was still hard for him to grasp the extent of how much help had been offered to them by the ordinary military. Once Danny and Buzz had made strategic parts of their military history known to the grateful relatives of some of the soldiers they had rescued.

"Who would have thought when we humped that heavy bastard Damian out of Kurdistran, that his father would turn out to be a General?" Tanner smirked.

"Even if everything still turns to shit and we end up in the pitch battle with the military that we've always anticipated, anyway. Just being paid as soldiers, even if it's only for a couple of months would make the risks we've taken in letting Danny and the rest of them expose our service histories worthwhile."

"Yeah," Tanner agreed wholeheartedly. He remembered the looks on the faces of his unit when Regan had shown them the computer print out of their new bank accounts with the service pay entries. He'd know exactly how they'd felt and had been sure his own face reflected the same emotion. To finally be acknowledged as soldiers and have their skills respected and considered worthy of payment, just like ordinary soldiers were. Instead of being treated like animals with no rights was an exhilarating feeling.

"Not that most of us really want to continue being soldiers once this is all over, but while we're doing the armies job and helping to police Seattle, then it's good too be paid for it."

"Steve and Danny reckon that the way they've done it is even legal. Evidently all General Quinn had to do was remove the word transgenic from the adult files, reactivate them, move them across into active, reassign us under his command and start paying us.

"Amazing what you can manipulate and camouflage if you can access the right databases," Tanner snorted.

"The beauty of it isn't just that it solves our cash flow and basic supply crisis. Although even if it only did that the exercise would still have been worthwhile. The implications are even more far-reaching than that. By legally putting us on the United States Military payroll and giving us a legitimate role within the military could turn out to be hugely significant in terms of civil rights and citizenship issues."

"Yeah, well theoretically then, the fact that we were soldiers doing what we were ordered to do under threat of death, should mitigate in our favour. If the shit ever hits the fan about some of the more illegal details of Manticore's assignments."

"Yeah theoretically," Alec agreed laughing along with Tanner. "I can just see them all lining up in Washington to share that responsibility."

Tanner snorted in agreement. Like Alec he'd heard the same argument from their own kind and from their ordinary supporters. Despite the perception of Manticore was an independent operation, because it had been funded from coopted funds looted from the countries defence budget, and because it had also been set up and run by defence department employees. The argument was that it was in fact essentially no different from any other military installation across the country. Therefore transgenic soldiers just like any other Defence Department employees were fundamentally no different and had the same status and rights as ordinary soldiers employed at other facilities across the country.

"Do you buy that shit, Alec?"

"No not really. Maybe."

He didn't have to explain himself Tanner understood his ambivalence. Alec and most of the male alpha military council, himself included probably felt the same way. They would all like to believe that being openly put on the military payroll would indeed change their status and afford them the same rights as ordinary soldiers but being pragmatists they weren't banking on it.

"Tanya tells me the women's council see it as hugely significant." Tanner shrugged and glanced at Alec. "She sees it as another step towards acceptance, I suppose," he added glumly almost wishing he could see it with the same optimism.

"Yeah," Alec agreed. Max had been practically euphoric when he'd showed her their Unit printout with their official pays. "Max is the same. Anything that gives her hope that we won't have to fight is positive as far as she's concerned," Alec added thinking that anything that stopped her worrying and kept her happy and hopeful was all right with him.

"It's all positive and none of it can hurt us. Being peacefully assimilated into ordinary life is much preferable to having to fight. All this help we are getting is definitely working to our advantage. As is being under General Quinn and Anderson's wing."

"Yeah," Tanner acknowledged. As long as we still keep our head in our own game and keep working toward our own plan."

'Yeah, we stick with Quinn and Anderson only as far as it serves us. Any hint of anything that might be contrary to our interests then all bets are off and we're on our own again. At the moment we're actually better prepared in terms of access to supplies and equipment than we've ever been."

"You said if we have to fight Alec. Do you really think it won't come down to a fight?" Tanner asked him in astonishment.

"Yeah. I think we'll have to fight all right," Alec replied without hesitation. "Even though we've had no familiar activity for the past couple of months White and his Looney tunes are still out there. However lately with everything that's been happening on our behalf, I'm maybe a bit more hopeful that when we have to armour up, it'll only be Familiars we're fighting and not the United States army. Although if that's how it pans out and we have to fight them. Then so be it. We'll fight."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So you're telling me, Max, that the meds Manticore used to regulate heat may have made our females sterile?"

"Yeah, but that's the worst case scenario. We'll have a better idea once the test results start coming back. Cass is hopeful that they'll only show a residual build up of the medications in the bodies of the women on the drugs long term. If that's the case then over time the excess will break down and be expelled from the body.

"Kat would be one of the longest ones on the meds," Alec said in horror, thinking about how religiously thorough he'd been in ensuring she had a constant supply ever since the tragedy of her pregnancy. "And not only that I had the guards trading on the black market for those meds. I made them available to any female who wanted them. During the breeding programme I supplied them for all the women." he trailed off in dismay.

Sitting down on the couch beside him Max put her hand on his check and turned his frowning, worried face toward her. "Yeah, and that was the right thing to do then Alec. Never doubt that. Anything was better than helping Manticore to breed new slaves. Supplying the women with those meds meant that no more of them were forced to do what Kat had to do. You haven't done anything wrong," she assured him emphatically.

In fact he'd done everything right from what she'd heard of the lengths he'd gone to and the risks he'd taken to procure what he thought was for the best interests of their females. "The order for women to take those pills during the breeding programme came from the female alpha council, Alec. It's our responsibility and it was the right thing to do at the time."

He put his arm around her and Max settled against his side wiggling until she was comfortably situated so she could still she his face.

"When ordinary women who've been taking contraceptives want to get pregnant they have to wait for the meds to work there way out of their system too. Cass is very confident that it's going to be the same for our women. It's just going to be a matter of waiting until all the residue shit from the medication has worked its way out of their bodies."

Max didn't think there was any need to go into the rest of it. She could see he already felt bad enough. So she didn't mention that the meds given to transgenic females had not been the same as those given to ordinary women. Transgenic females had been given a popular generic medication used by vets to prevent ovulation in animals.

Unfortunately according to the medical data that Danny and Dix had been able to liberate, Manticore had never bothered to test it before administering it. Loss of fertility hadn't been seen as an issue of concern back then when they still had the DNA labs and the breeding facilities had still been artificially breeding transgenics. Alec of course had assumed that Manticore knew what it was doing and had bought the same generic brand on the black market.

"We've surveyed the women who are pregnant. Without exception they're all women who have either never taken the meds because of the negative side affects they experienced. Or they are women who for one reason or another stopped taking the medication. Susie from Drago's unit stopped just over a year ago because they started to make her sick. Of the pregnant women she has the shortest length of abstinence. So we're hoping that means that the base line indication of the length of time the toxins take to clear a woman's system is twelve months."

"Yeah they didn't agree with Ana or Tanya. They never took them," Alec said absently. He remembering how ill they had made Ana the only time she had taken them. Guiltily he remembered how irritated the fact she couldn't taken them had made him once she'd mated. Every time she went into heat they'd had to keep a very assertive, very aggressive Cloud out of their territory until they could get her into lockdown every time she went into heat.

Max smiled reassuringly in the face of his ongoing frown. "We're hoping that once the drugs are out of their system our women who are trying to conceive will start getting pregnant. There's every reason to hope that will be the case. The fact that me and the other women who have never taken the meds got pregnant so easily in our first heat is a good sign."

Absently Alec trailed his fingers across her temple into her hair. There wasn't a day that passed that he didn't look at Max and the small bulge that was his son and think just how lucky he was. This disquieting news once again highlighted just how privileged he really was. That Steve might not get to see Kat through a pregnancy and experience the satisfaction of feeling his child growing safe and protected was unthinkable.

"It was really good for Kat to do the tests. I've never seen her so happy. She said doing the tests with the other women made her feel like she was doing something that could make a difference. I know you don't like ordinary doctors, Alec, but Cass has been a good friend to us. She doesn't gain anything for herself by helping our women. Just more work."

"The reason that the women are comfortable with her is because they trust her now and that has only come about because they have got to know her. Joining that ordinary women's health collective that Cass hooked us up with was a stroke of genius. Our women on that are not only doing incredible work they're actually getting to see that a lot of ordinaries are really good people. Its amazing the initiatives that are coming off that committee."

"Yeah. I had Tyler moaning in my ear about how heavy of all that equipment you had his unit humping from hospital to hospital last week was."

"He can be such a boy. They're transgenic for gods sake it wasn't heavy. We could have moved it ourselves but we didn't want to shock the hell out of our ordinary colleagues on the committee, and besides it hadn't been the 'army reallocating resources,'" she giggled. "Each hospitals administration would have given us the same bullshit jurisdictional and funding excuses that they've been giving the ordinary women for five years. Not good reason for holding onto equipment they no longer need, when another hospitals are crying out for it."

"Last week we accomplished in one week what that collective had been trying to do for five years. At the moment they think we're gods," she finished with satisfaction. "We can do really important stuff on that committee. Stuff that will make Seattle a better place for both ordinary and transgenic, and it was Cass who trusted us enough to hook us up with them."

"Yeah," Alec agreed begrudgingly. He still preferred their own medics, but he was getting used to Cass. After all she'd been present at both the scans of his son and he supposed he was starting to associate her with the happiness and emotion of those. Whatever it was he no longer felt quite so antagonistic towards her, and if Max and the women wanted to use her then he no longer had any objection.

"She did give us our favourite picture," Max, teased, referring to their last ultra sound picture of the baby at twenty weeks."

Alec grinned. He just couldn't help smiling whenever he thought about that really clear picture they'd acquired at their last scan of their fully formed baby sucking avidly on his little thumb. Just thinking about it, he again felt the fierce rush of emotion he'd experienced when he'd seen how much the tiny little arms and legs responsible for the eruptions of frequent movement across Max's stomach had grown.

Max was right. It was hard to think ill of anyone involved in ensuring the wellbeing of either Max or his son. "That she did," he agreed still grinning as he stroked her stomach in the hope of feeling more movement. "She isn't so bad and if you want her instead of one of our medics at the birth then I've got no objections," he told her truthfully.

Max sighed contentedly. "I always wanted her there but only if you did." Smiling she moved his hand into the right place when she felt the first movement. Moving the arm he had around her further down Alec splayed both his hands across her stomach and grinned expectantly as they waited for the baby to kick again.

Her gaze locked with his and his wide grin turned serious as her eyes lovingly roamed his face. _I could get lost in his eyes and never want to come out. _His smile flashed again when he felt the baby move under his hand.

"That felt like a punch," Max laughed. "His feet are down here I think," she said putting her hand over his and moving it lower.

'See," she added delightedly when the baby kicked right under his palm. "He's so much bigger now, but it's all taking so damn long. I can't wait until he's here."

Alec snorted in amusement, well knowing how impatient she was. "He'll be here before you know it."

"Its easy for you to say Alec you're not as big as a house and having to pee every five minutes," she pouted petulantly.

"You've just gotta take the bad with the good I guess Max," Alec laughed into her neck.

"And it's all good as far as I'm concerned." Your not big at all he said curving his hands fondly across her little rotund belly. "I love all this extra you," he murmured gliding his fingers lightly across her breast and stomach.

"Stop it Alec. You're tickling me," she giggled squirming away from him. Only to have him haul her wriggling body back into his arms.

"In fact I'm going to love you all plump and sexy," he laughed kissing her neck.

"You had better," she giggled.

"I will," he breathed into her ear as he licked her earlobe. "So far you're getting curver in all the places I like," he smirked his hand encircling her full breast his eyes locking with hers.

"You better still love me when my knees and ankles are fat too."

His murmured agreement was lost when his mouth closed over hers.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kat laughed euphorically as she approached the door of her apartment. _I just know those tests are going to be okay and all I'll have to do is wait until all that shit is out of my system and then I'll be able to get pregnant. I just know it. _She'dbeen repeating it all day, like a mantra. The more she said it the more real it felt. It was so long since she'd felt this good she'd almost forgot what it felt like she realized in surprise as she rushed up the stairs to her apartment. _Which just shows how much this has weighed on me._

She stopped hesitantly outside her door. Steve was home early she had his scent. He'd been so morose and withdrawn lately and she knew that whatever was up with him had to do with her ongoing disappointment and worry about not getting pregnant. She had tried not to let her stress show around him, but sometimes her unhappiness and her longing to be pregnant would just burst out of her.

This time it was different. This wasn't the same as all those other times she'd had her hopes up. Even Steve would have to see these tests and Cass's theories were positive news and be as happy as she was.

Yeah, he would she reassured herself plastering her smile back on her face as she opened the door.

He was standing at the fridge wearing nothing but his boots and fatigues and his head was thrown back as he glugged the orange juice straight from the bottle. She suppressed a quick flash of longing and hot desire as she watched the play of muscles in his back. Before he would never have drunk from the bottle like that when she was around, knowing how much she hated it. Now days he just seemed to be going out of his way to piss her off.

Not tonight. Tonight she wasn't going to let anything interfere with her good mood. As happy as she was feeling nothing could piss her off. Not even Steve at his most annoying. Tonight she was too happy to be irritated by anything. Smiling cheerfully she made her way over to him intending to take the bottle off him and swig her share down.

_What the fuck._ She smelt the ordinary female before she was halfway across the room. Shoving down the immediate rush of jealous rage she paused and watched him down all the orange juice, her own share included. The scent wasn't strong just a hint from someone who must have touched him. It was nothing to overreact about.

He was absolutely expert at avoiding the casual touch of ordinary women. One of the facts of life outside Manticore that they'd all swiftly discovered was that humans had the unsavoury habit of touching what wasn't theirs. All Mated transgenics had learned very quickly how to avoid their casual touch. Steve was one of the longest mated males in Manticore and he was as expert at dodging their uninvited contact as she was. He'd had a lot of practise at ensuring she never had to encounter this sort of shit on him. _Just imagine the fucking carry on if I came home smelling of ordinary male_.

She could see his tension as he bent to put the empty orange juice container back in the fridge. _He knows I hate that too. And he fucking knows I can smell that female. He let it happen on purpose. _His eyes touched hers briefly and he grunted what she assumed was hello as he brushed past her and headed for the couch. Uneasily she stared after his departing back. Lately he'd been so unlike his usual considerate, affectionate self. He was so cold and unapproachable that it was almost as if she was living with a stranger.

She just didn't know what was going on for him anymore and she hated that feeling. She'd tried to talk about it but he'd withdrawn even more. Always in the past they'd sorted stuff out by either talking about it, or making love until whatever difference they'd had hadn't seemed so important. He wouldn't do either at the moment. He certainly wasn't talking to her and nor had he touched her in over two weeks and when she'd tried to touch him he'd either moved away or he'd been too tired. Which was absolutely ludicrous. He was never too tired either for touch or for sex.

_Her news was bound to cheer him up. _She traipsed around the couch and in front of the TV he'd just turned on and sat on his knee _"_I had some really, really good news today," she said already feeling her euphoria start to wane when he didn't put his arms around her and pull her into him like he usually would. When he grunted without taking his eyes off the TV and moved so he could see around her she didn't even want to tell him anymore.

He swallowed the lump of pain and tears suddenly at the back of her throat and got up. When she stood he didn't even seem to notice so she couldn't see the point in telling him she was going out. _He wouldn't care._ Quietly closing the door she stood in the hallway blinking back her tears and trying to ignore the painful rush of panic. He was almost as cut off and as unreachable as he'd been when he'd got out of hospital after she'd killed their baby.

Ruthlessly she suppressed the familiar feeling of desolation and loss she always felt whenever she thought about their dead baby. Steve would be fine once she was finally pregnant again. It's just the stress of her failure each heat. That was all. Once she was pregnant again then she'd be able to relace what she'd taken from him and everything would finally be all right. _I'll be the best mother any baby could ever have._

Angrily Steve heard the door close. _Fuck I'm not even important enough for her to tell me when she'll be back now._ As for good news, he thought glumly. _The only news I want to hear is that she's giving up this endless obsession with having a baby she hasn't even bothered to ask me if I want. The baby I wanted was the baby I'd felt moving inside her. Not that she bothered to ask my feelings about that either. _

He snorted in self-disgusteven as he thought it he knew it wasn't really fair to blame Kat for his failing. It had been his responsibility to protect them and it was hardly her fault that he'd failed. If he hadn't been so fucking scared and gutless when he'd first suspected she was pregnant, and he'd taken her and ran right at the start then maybe things would have turned out differently.

_Yeah, then Kat would be dead as well as the baby. Fuck sitting here thinking about this all night. I might as well go and see what the unmated guys are doing. _

"Hey Kat," Max laughed when she opened the door. "You're just in time Alec has cooked this new recipe that Mary gave him for that Italian pasta stuff he likes. You'd think he'd just discovered the cure for the pulse he's so proud of it. Would you like some?" she asked less certainly taking in Kat's sombre face.

"Yeah cool Max, I'd love some." Kat grinned brightly.

"I'll ring Steve and invite him too," Max said reaching for the phone.

"No don't do that Max he's not feeling very sociable tonight. He just wants to spend tonight in front of the TV on his own.

"If you say so Kat," Max said frowning doubtfully. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah of course what wouldn't be okay?"

What indeed? Max thought her eyes on Kat's unhappy eyes and her bright fixed smile.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Max yawned her weary eyes sweeping the mess in search of Alec. It was only seven o'clock but already she was so tired that all she wanted was Alec and her bed, in that order. She quickly located him at a corner table frowning over what appeared to be one of Tanya's drawings.

Max watched their earnest discussion with mild interest just wishing he'd hurry up. Finally he got abruptly to his feet his eyes searching the mess. Obviously not looking for her she realized in irritation when he smiled fleetingly before his attention moved quickly past her.

She followed his gaze to Tav leaning against the far wall staring moodily into space. Max sighed in impatient exasperation when she realized Alec was headed over to him. At this rate she'd be asleep in her seat by the time he was ready to go home. But if she left him here then it could be hours before he managed to extract himself. Sometimes their own kind forgot that Alec needed to sleep.

Moodily she watched Tav's quick grin when Alec put his hand on his shoulder.

_Hurry up Alec. _

About time, she thought grumpily, getting to her feet as he finally headed towards her.

"I'll be off with Tav for a few hours Max. Do you want me to walk you home first, or do you want to stay here for a while?"

"Off where?" she demanded in irritation.

"Nowhere special. We'll probably just go to the gym and then maybe get something to eat," he shrugged.

"Not tonight Alec. I'm really tired and I just want to go home," she frowned crossly.

"Yeah, I'll take you home first," he agreed evenly.

Over the last couple of months as she'd got more pregnant he'd discovered that tired, Max if not handled properly could rapidly become Attila the Hun Max. So far the best way he'd found to deal with her mood swings was to ignore them where possible, and if that failed, then it was best he just did what she wanted as fast as she wanted it.

"You can see Tav tomorrow at work. I want you home with me tonight," she insisted in what he had come to recognise as her implacable won't be argued or reasoned with voice.

"I need to talk to him about some stuff, Max. I can't really do that at work…" he trailed off in the face of her petulant bad tempered pout.

"Come on I'll take you home," he offered. His smile pleasant if a little forced he put his arm around her shoulders and steered her towards the door."

Hugging his waist Max beamed her appreciation. She immediately felt better when she knew they were going home and a little guilty that she'd been so irritable.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where are you going Alec?" she demanded ominously from her comfortable perch in the middle of their bed, when twenty minutes later he started to put his jacket back on instead of removing his clothes to join her.

"I'm worried about Tav and I have to talk to him tonight," he explained one knee on the bed, quickly kissing her cheek before springing back.

"See you later on then," he called as he went out the door.

"Aleeec," she whined in that plaintive voice that made it nearly impossible for him to refuse whatever she wanted from him.

Sighing he turned back to the bed. "I'm going Max. I need to see him. You and I spend every night together. Tonight I need to see Tav."

"I'll see you later," he repeated determinedly. Ignoring her exasperated sigh he closed the door.

_Fuck being mated could be hard work sometimes._ As it was he spent all his down time with Max anyway. Not that he begrudged it. He didn't. He loved being with her. But he really liked spending time with Tav as well. They'd always done a lot of stuff together before he'd mated with Max. When Tanya had shown him that picture she'd drawn of her visit to Crash and he'd seen how alone and isolated Tav had looked, even though he'd been surrounded by a crowd of people. He'd realized that like Tav he was missing all the time they used to spend together. Tonight he wanted to catch up with Tav, to just hanging out and relax like they used to. Doing nothing in particular, just passing time together had always been enough.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So hows everything going with the baby and Max," Tav asked as they sat down a couple of hours later at Crash."

"Fine. Excellent," Alec said looking about him with enjoyment as he relished his second bourbon. _I'd nearly forgotten just how relaxing a few drinks and a change of scenery can be. _

"Did I show you the new picture of him sucking his thumb?"

"Yeah, once or twice," Tav laughed. "So what's it like being mated then? I suppose regular sex might make it bearable?" he added answering his own question.

"Yeah, regular sex is good but there are other things to recommend it as well," Alec answered dryly.

"Since there are no longer any of our own kind to fuck let along mate with I'll probably never find out."

His glum tone and despondent face made Alec smile. "I thought you were never wanted to mate anyway?"

"Yeah, well I don't, but I expected it to be a matter of my own choice not a lack of females to mate with, and I never expected I'd have no one to fuck. Given the choice I'd rather mate than be celibate."

"So then, there must be someone that you fancy that isn't mated." Alec asked him curiously. _Fuck things must be getting desperate for unmated males if even Tav was thinking he'd maybe like to mate._

"Nobody that I fancy enough to fight for. I just want females to fuck. I don't want to mate with anyone."

"It won't be like this forever, lost women are still turning up and eventually you'll be able to fuck ordinary women again. But having no one to fuck even temporarily must really suck. Just as well I'm fixed up. Isn't it little bro?"

"Fuck you."

"Yeah," Alec laughed. "Shame about you."

"Do you think I should remove the no sex ban now then?" Alec asked him suddenly serious.

"Yeah of course I do," Tav answered immediately. "Celibacy sucks."

"It does, but if we remove the ban for males then we have to remove it for females as well."

"We can't remove it for females. That would be stupid. We aren't sharing them with ordinary males. We haven't got enough of them to go around as it is and we probably never will have, ever again. But neither can we stay celibate forever. It just isn't natural. The guys won't go for it for too much longer anyway. If we can't fuck our own kind then we have to be able to start fucking ordinary women again."

"Are they sticking to the ban now." Alec asked him his eyes watchful. Since he'd mated he was more or less out of the loop when it came to what the unmated males were doing. Tav was much more up with everything and there wasn't much that escaped his notice.

"Yeah, no one wants to risk what we've got happening here by exposing who we are before we have too."

"Are you abiding by it?" Alec asked his eyes holding Tav's. If their males had started to flout the ban then Tav who had only ever obeyed orders if they suited him, would probably be one of the first to do so. If Tav was still compliant with the ban then it was almost assured the other males would be.

"Yeah, so far I have been," his eyes moved quickly off Alec's.

"But?"

If he said he wasn't fucking ordinary women, then he wasn't. He never lied, but Alec knew him well enough to know that he had something on his mind.

Tav sat back in his seat. "Don't get me wrong I definitely don't want to be celibate. I fucking hate it," he said with feeling.

"But being able to fuck ordinary women again isn't the answer either. Most of us have more or less got that out of our systems and prefer our own kind anyway. There are a hellva lot of guys really bent out of shape that they may never have the option of mating with a transgenic female. Even if we don't want children now most of us like to think we can have them when we're older if we want. If we can't find a transgenic female to mate with then that can't happen. Can it?" he asked not entirely comfortable with the turn the conversation had taken.

"All that shit that Tanner had to go through with Tanya will keep happening as more lost women find there way here. Six mate fights in three weeks was fucking ridiculous. Tanner just didn't get any time to recover properly. It would have been worse if it hadn't been Tanner who'd been fighting for her. If it had been a less able fighter then we probably would have had every unmated guy in TC lined up to challenge. As it was Tanner still had to fight guys who normally wouldn't have dreamed of getting into a ring with him."

"Yeah, I know Tav but there's not much I can do about it. I can't resurrect our women."

"No but there are a lot of females still missing who we haven't identified as dead. We need to make more of an effort to find them."

"Todd, Shane and me have been chasing up some leads."

"More whore houses?"

"No. Now days that's a waste of our time. We've hit every whorehouse in Seattle to many times for it to be worth their while holding our women. We're coming up empty every time we go now."

At least that's something to be doubly thankful for Alec thought remembering the injuries Tav and Todd had collected when they'd first arrived in the city and had rousted every whore house in Seattle, at least once a week in their search for Tanya and Ana. While they hadn't found either of them they had been responsible for rescuing over twenty transgen females who were being held against their wills.

"There's some talk about someone paying top dollar for transgenics and that they prefer us alive."

"What? Some one other than White's merry band of the criminally insane?"

"It could be familiars. But I don't think so they've never shown a preference for live bodies before so why would they suddenly want us alive? I think that whoever it is wants us for something else. If they're buying us alive then that suggests they have a use for us."

"I'm supposed to be meeting with a guy who may have some information. He's a contact of Rick Chavez's. I'm just waiting for the word from Chavez."

"Rick Chavez is a scum bag, but if you think this is worth investigating then go for it, but don't meet with Chavez without backup.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max caught the strong smell of testosterone as she went through the doors into Headquarters.

"What's going on Alec?" she asked in concern when she realized he was one of the major contributors to the rapidly spreading scent now permeating the air. She glanced quickly around her. As were Steve and Biggs and the rest of the alpha unit males.

"We can't find Tav. He disappeared while the unit were working in Sector Six around about lunchtime. He hasn't reported in since then." Distractedly Alec ran the back of his hand across his neck in unconscious acknowledgement that the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end.

"Something's wrong. I can feel it." His tone was clipped and urgent as he leaned on his hand on the desk so he could see over Steve's shoulder as he scrolled through the hovercraft cams footage.

"Here."

Steve's curt tone brought Max's attention to the screen and the black clad soldiers he was pointing at. All the alpha unit males were there, except for Tav.

"He'd already disappeared before we got to Fourth Street then," Alec commented. His urgent, "Scroll back," redundant as Steve was already moving back through the hovercraft cams footage.

"A hovercraft moves really fast so the pictures it shoots can be fairly random. It may not have picked us up again…" Steve broke off as the screen was again filled with the alpha unit, spread across and moving casually down a street crowded with ordinaries. Nothing unusual Max thought. _Just looks like a run of the mill patrol._

"If there had been any threat, or even just anything out of the ordinary, why the hell didn't we sense it?" Alec asked not really expecting an answer. _It was just a routine parol._

"So where the hell are you then Tav?" he bit out in anxious, frustration. Even without the now heavy cloying mix of adrenalin and testosterone coming off him Max would have known from the stressed urgency of his tone that he was really worried.

The cam was now clearly showing the alpha units advance up the street with Tav bringing up the rear and now talking into his cell phone. Steve froze the screen on a clear shot of the side of Tav's face as he ducked down an alleyway and out off sight.

"Fuck," Alec swore with feeling.

"Little prick!" Steve echoed in angry exasperation pushing his chair away from the consul and grabbing his Kevlar.

"Tell Tanner to kit his unit up and meet us at the gates, Reub." Alec ordered hooking his headpiece over his ear.

The scent of adrenalin and testosterone was pungent as Max and Kat watched the rest of the alpha unit grab their m16's and exit command.

"He may have ducked out of formation voluntarily Max, but he would have expected to be back in line by the time we reached the end of the street, or he would have called in his position. He would never just abandon the unit while on patrol. Something is very wrong." Still talking he grabbed his gun and headed after Steve.

"Be careful Alec?" Max called after his departing back.

"Tav's been a bit restless and strung out lately. I've been meaning to spend some time with him but I didn't get round to it," Kat said from behind Max. "He has a tendency to get into trouble when he's bored. I had so much on my mind…" she trailed off feeling guilty. _To preoccupied with worrying about how distant Steve had become._

"Yeah, Tanya was concerned about Tav too. She and Alec had some sort of talk about him last night and whatever she said must have worried Alec because he spent most of last night with Tav." Max explained feeling really guilty about how resentful and curt she'd been when Alec hadn't come home until well after midnight.

She was so used to him being there when she went to sleep now that it had been disconcertingly hard for her to settle until he'd come home. By the time he'd finally come in smelling of alcohol she'd been grumpy and over tired and had huffily shrugged him off when he'd finally lain down beside her.

"Alec invited him for dinner tonight as well."

"He'd never not show up for that," Kat said emphatically, even more worried. "He wouldn't blow Alec off for anything. Especially not now when they don't get to spend much time together, anyway."

Max sighed feeling even guiltier. Tav was the closest person to Alec beside herself and in her preoccupation with spending as much time with Alec as she could, she hadn't given a thought to the fact that more time spent with her was less spent with Tav. _No wonder Alec got so pissed off with me this morning when said I didn't want Tav tying us up for two nights in a row. _

"Put them on speaker Dix?" she asked as she and Kat took their seats beside him.

Max listened as Alec and Tanner's units talked to each other as they made there way back to where Tav had disappeared. She had a bad feeling about this. Tav might be hot headed and impulsive but he was a damn good soldier who would never voluntarily worry either Alec or his Unit like this.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's happening Max?" Tanya asked anxiously, pushing her way through the crush of bodies now clustered around the computer consuls.

"They found Tav's blood in the alley he disappeared into. There was no scent of familiars just a lot of different ordinary scents. At the moment they're searching the surrounding neighbourhood trying to find anyone who may have seen something. "

The noise of the radio coming through the speakers had been constant as the search progressed but so far they hadn't found anything.

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"Alec," Todd shouted beckoning him away from the old ordinary he'd been questioning.

Hookers Alec thought eyeing the two women Todd was talking too. His transgenic hearing picked up what they were saying as he crossed the road.

"It took you long enough," the one in red complained grumpily. "We've been waiting here since lunchtime. That's a lot of money we lost waiting for you to show up. I got a kid to feed ya know."

"Yeah, I appreciate it. Here," Todd said thrusting a handful of money at her.

She smiled appreciatively shoving the money into her pocket. "Donna wanted to go but I told her we couldn't just let them take Lara's 'brother' without doing something. I knew you'd show up sooner or later looking for him," she said eyeing Todd speculatively, before her attention moved onto Alec as he approached.

"How is Lara doing anyway? Is she still clean?" she added wistfully."

Alec knew she was referring to one of their women that Tav and Todd had rescued on one of their raids. She'd been held against her will, drugged out of her brains in one of the seedier Seattle whorehouse.

"Yeah, she's still clean. I'll tell her you were asking after her," Todd said.

Now what can you tell us ladies?" Alec asked getting straight to the point.

"We saw it all. There were about twelve of them. Huge mean looking bastards and all army like you lot," she said gesturing at their uniforms. "He put up a hellva fight even though they shot him with what looked like some sort of tranquiller. They had those tazer things the police use and they just kept shocking him. "A hellva struggle," she repeated with relish. "It was even worse than the fights you Tav caused when ya used to come looking for your… 'sisters,'" she hesitated over the last word her eyes on Todd as she snorted dubiously.

"Army? Are you sure? Todd asked his frown mirroring Alec's."

"Of course I'm fucking sure. I've done enough of you guys to know all the different uniforms by now. US of A army they were."

"Did you see anything else? What about their vehicles?"

"Yeah. There was two black vans. Marie memorised the license plates. She's good with numbers."

"Dix, see if you can trace these number plates, over?" Alec relayed the number plates.

"Is there anything else you can tell us ladies?" He offered them another handful of money.

"We don't need no more money. She jerked her head in Todd's direction. "He's given us enough to cover our asses with management. Tav's okay. We like him. He done the right thing by a few of the girls not just his 'sisters.' We didn't like the kicking those gutless bastards gave him. They was even jumping on his head at one stage," she shuddered her disgust apparent.

"We was standing in the doorway," she indicated the dim, shadowed backdoor of the whorehouse. "Tav saw us and asked us if we'd seen Rick Chavez yet. We hadn't. He went down the alley looking for Rick and that's when someone shot him with the tranquiller thing. He tried to pull it out of his neck but they were on him too quick. So then he tried to climb up the side of the building. Got pretty far up he did too."

Alec could tell by the speculative expression on her face that whatever they'd seen they now knew Tav was transgenic.

"But they shot him down. Then they just kept kicking on him and tazering him until he didn't get up no more."

Fighting to keep control of the adrenalin and testosterone now flooding his bloodstream and fuelling his growing rage Alec's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the pool of blood halfway down the alley. Now wasn't the time to revert into his instincts. He needed a clear head to find Tav. The longer they had him and the further away they took him, the less chance they had of getting him back. Tav didn't die here. I'd know if he had.

"What do you make of the fact they were regular army Alec?" Steve asked jumping into the jeep beside him.

"I don't know but right now we've got to find Chavez. You know that dive down on the waterfront where the steelheads hangout? We'll start looking there."

"Alpha one to Tanner just follow us, over."

"Alpha one to all policing units. Twelve soldiers in two black vans have grabbed Tav. These are the license plates. Has anybody had these vans through their checkpoints, over?"

"Roger that alpha one. This is Drago one, they entered our territory through checkpoint sixteen in the northeast grid about five hours ago. They had paperwork from the Base. They must still be here I haven't…what the fuck? You fucking stupid…" Drago broke off mid sentence.

"Be advised alpha one, they passed back through our checkpoint two hours ago. They weren't searched, over."

Fuck. Alec clenched his teeth in frustration. Every vehicle leaving their territory was supposed to be searched regardless of where it was from or who was in it.

"Roger that Drago, over."

Drago's males had dropped the ball but there was no point in making an issue of it now. They would already have Drago's angry roaring in their ears anyway. Better to let it lie until he'd found Tav.

"Dix get every bird we've got in the air. I want them searching a grid from Drago's checkpoint out. Concentrate on roads to any military installations within a three hundred mile radius. I want those vans found. Fix me up with a secure private channel to Max, over."

"Roger that Alec. Flicking you over now."

"Max?"

"Yeah Alec?"

Get Howl and Danny into Command and get them working to find out who the hell these guys are. Every other ordinary army grunt in TC goes into lockdown, over."

"I've already put them into 'protective custody' Alec, over."

"If those fuckers turn out to be from Anderson's base then Howl and Danny go into lockdown until I get back as well. Tell Dix to switch all the alphas to this channel. We're on our own again until we know what the fuck is going on, over."

"Do you think Anderson has betrayed us…?"

Even with the distortion and static of the radio Alec could hear the anxiety in her voice.

"I don't think so Max. His son is still in TC. He knows what we do if you fire on us. If this were down to Anderson then Danny wouldn't be in TC. He'd be tucked up nice and safe somewhere." _But_ seizing Tav would be a guaranteed way to bring pressure to bear on him. The only people who knew of Tav's relationships to him outside of their own kind were Anderson and the ordinary soldiers working to help them.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing Alec, but we still need to cover ourselves just in case."

"Roger that Max."

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Before Chavez had hit the ground Alec had already turned and was headed back to his jeep. Stepping around the body Steve quickly caught up with him. " I knew it wasn't Anderson," he said as they headed for Tanner."

"Yeah so did I really," Alec agreed wearily. "To shitty an operation for him."

"Yeah but not just because of that. I think I trust him. Maybe," Steve qualified glancing sideways at Alec.

Alec's snorted humourlessly. "Yeah, I think I do too. Maybe."

"Everything okay out here?" Alec asked a shirtless glowering Tanner who was leaning against his jeep scowling ferociously at the rag tag, motley collection of steelheads and other assorted lowlifes lying face down in the car park, vocally whining about their rights. His males who were spread around the car park were sporting various minor injuries and a medic was busy stitching the deep cut in Tanner's shoulder and bicep.

Fuck their rights Alec thought fiercely. What about Tav's right to be safe in our own fucking territory?

"Yeah, everything's under control, but I was just thinking it's about time we got these shitheads out of our territory," Tanner said flicking his eyes contemptuously. Ordinaries were a pain in the ass at the best of times this lot were a complete waste of space.

"You're absolutely right Tanner, it is. Once we've got Tav back, you can round them all up and escort them the hell out of our territory. It's time that ordinaries with nothing but shit to offer, found another place to pollute.

"What did you find out?"

"That fucker Chavez sold Tav to them for $20,000."

"Is that all we're worth?" Tanner snorted.

"It evidently used to be $22,000 for a male and $30,000 for a female. But since we've tightened up policing in our zone those arseholes couldn't just come and go as they used too. Evidently they now have to buy illegal paperwork from the Base to get into our territory. Hence Chavez had to take a pay cut.

He's been acting as a purchasing agent for them for about sixteen months now. He finds the transgenics and they come and pick them up. He told us he never handles the merchandise himself just arranges the meet and makes himself scarce. He couldn't tell us if Tav is alive or dead." Alec finished his hard eyes sweeping the sky as he picked up the sound of their birds in the distance.

"So they're not army then?" Tanner asked shrugging back into his Kevlar.

"Yeah, they're army alright but not from Anderson's Base. Chavez doesn't know where they're from. He only has a contact number for them. Dix is tracing that now. But he did say the facility they transport the transgenics to is definitely in the hills. Evidently if he has only managed to find one or two of us they moan about having to travel all that way up the mountain for nothing."

"Doesn't sound like a small operation then," Tanner commented before the noise of the two hovering birds made it impossible to talk.

Tanner and Alec watched impassively as the steelheads tried to rise from their spread-eagled positions and move out of the landing paths of the now hovering birds. Regan signalled menacingly with his M16 for them to get back down. Stupid bastards Tanner thought as they looked frantically around them. There fear of Reagan preventing them from making a move to get out of the way of the birds skids. When they finally used their brains and rolled clear Regan's amused smirk quickly faded in the face of Tanner's quelling glare.

Dix to Alpha one, Anderson has nailed where our assholes are headed. It's Ventura a small base about two hundred miles north east of here, over."

"This is Kane one, we're over the main route to that base now. Eta fifteen minutes. No vans so far, over."

Roger that Kane one. All birds keep searching their grids. Kane one, we're headed your way. Eta forty minutes. Don't approach the Base over."

"Dix get Danny or Howl to get me permission for three birds to land at that base. Tell them we've got a bird with engine trouble, over."

"They're already onto it Alec, over."

Kane one, to alpha one. We have the vans. Be advised we have spotted the vans. Travelling at speed their eta to Ventura approximately thirty minutes, over."

"Show me Kane's birds video footage Dix, over?"

"Once those bastards get Tav inside the protective walls of that Base the chances of us being able to retrieve him alive are almost zero. If we try and remove him by force they'll kill him before we can get inside. Even if I could talk him out, by the time I'd negotiated my way pass Ventura's brass those bastards would probably have killed him anyway."

Alec stared broodingly at the two black vans now filling the screen as he rapidly reviewed his options.

"Alec, Anderson is roaring like a bull for channel to you, over." Dix interrupted, intruding into Alec's thoughts.

"Not now Dix." he snapped impatiently.

"His bird is already in the air and he's on his way to Ventura. He's closer than you are, over."

"Give him this channel Dix," Alec bit out trying to curb his frustration.

"Alpha one, what the hell are you doing Anderson?"

"I'm going to retrieve my illegally seized soldier. Those bastards are MP's supposedly enroute to the Brig with an awol soldier. At least that's the story they've always given Alan Denham when they've overnighted at his Base before. Alan reckons that those assholes have run at least a hundred military prisoners through Ventura over the last fifteen months. It's important we take these guys alive. They're the first opportunity we've had to start tracing the military connections that ran Manticore."

"It's more important we get Tav out alive," Alec snapped back harshly.

"Don't you tell me how to protect my men boy? I was soldiering when you were still squeezing your pimples." Anderson bit back angrily.

" If you go in alone, those assholes could have killed my soldier before you'd managed to spit out an explanation. Alan Denham and I went through boot camp together. I don't have to explain myself he's already waiting for me to uplift my soldier. I'll wait for you inside the Base. You'll only need two of your birds leave the rest outside, over."

"Roger that Anderson," Alec agreed without hesitation.

If Anderson was friendly with Ventura's CO and he could get them inside without an argument, then well and good. Since he was going to get there before him anyway there wasn't much else Alec could do but agree. Unless he wanted to leave Anderson to retrieve Tav on his own. Not that the old buzzard couldn't pull it off, but he was taking no chances. We're definitely going to be there.

"This is alpha one, Tanner you're bird is with me. Kane pull back to within five miles and wait. All other Birds head for Ventura and wait outside with Kane one, over."

"Just follow him down Seth," Alec instructed the pilot as his and Tanner's choppers trailed each other towards Ventura.

"Looks fine so far Alec," Steve said as they exited the bird and caught sight of Anderson and another Major he assumed must be Alan Denham now waiting patiently on the tarmac. Outwardly relaxed they made there way over to Anderson their watchful eyes scanning their surroundings.

"I haven't alerted them that anything is different from all the other times they've been through here with their prisoners. But I've checked their ID's again since talking to you. They are definitely legit MP's, but if you say your soldier has been shanghi'd then that's good enough for me Anderson."

Denham's eyes sweept the transgenic soldiers now standing behind Anderson. "Are you expecting trouble when you take your man back?" He asked frowning.

"I know they had to subdued my soldier when they shanghai'd him. I'm taking them back with me to answer for that."

"Yeah, well wait until they're clear of my headquarters if there's going to be a ruckus. I've just had the whole shebang re-decorated. You know how tight fisted Washington is about building maintenance. They won't do it again in a hurry," Denham shrugged.

"Apparently these guys usually check into reception and we give them clearance to take their prisoners straight through to the Brig. My Lieutenant has never actually seen any prisoners although my Sergeant has. They're usually in a pretty bad physical condition I'm told," again he shrugged. The fact that MP's were hard-headed jailers who didn't treat their charges with tender loving care was no news to anyone in the military.

"They've only just got here so they'll still be in reception. "That's their vans," he added.

Anderson could see the driver in the side mirror as he and Alec casually walked down the drivers side of the van and Steve went down the passenger side. Leaving the rest of Alec's unit clustered at the back door. He could see Tanner and Regan approaching the passenger and drivers door of the other van.

"How's it going?" Alec's grin was friendly as he opened the door and hauled the surprised driver out giving him no time to react.

Anderson heard the boom of a gun discharging in the vans interior. By the time he'd made it to the back door Alec was already climbing over the drivers seat into the back. Anderson hauled the body of a dead MP out of the way and dumped him on the road.

"He's fucking bad Alec," Todd said from where he was bent over Tav.

"Those hookers weren't kidding when they said the bastards gave him a good kicking."

Tav was unconscious on the floor of the van and Alec felt like heaving when he saw his swollen damaged face and head. Fuck.

Carefully grabbing his shoulders he helped Todd lift him onto one of the vans bench seats. . If it hadn't been for his scent he wouldn't have recognized Tav his face was so swollen and distorted. Crouching down beside him Alec quickly assessed his injuries. He had a bullet in the shoulder and probably a few broken bones but it was the facial contusions and the swelling to his head that was really worrying. It looked like the fuckers had subdued him by kicking him in the head and that could mean brain injury. Quickly rechecking to ensure he hadn't missed anything his glance swept back up to Tav's face. At least he's alive. Those bastards will be sorry they are.

Bending over him he gripped Tav's shoulder reassuringly. "It's Alec Tav. It's okay we've got you now," he said his voice low and calm.

"Alec they've got Bonnie from Greys unit in the other van. She's in a pretty bad way but not critical." Tanner said from the doorway of the van his eyes riveted on Tav. Fuck.

"Get out the way." Dex said shouldering a hovering Todd aside. "Fuck, that swelling isn't good," he echoed everybody's thoughts as he dropped the med kit to the floor. "Get one of the base medics to have a look at Bonnie, Tanner? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Yeah, Anderson's already arranging for."

"Alec Steve is with Bonnie. I'll go and sort the bastards out that are still inside. I'll try not to mess up the 'new décor,'" he added with a smirk.

"Yeah, okay Tanner," Alec's attention didn't stray as Dex cut Tav's shirt from his body.

"The swelling to his head is worrying Alec but since he has one of the hardest heads to come out of Manticore it's probably just a case of waiting it out until the swelling subsides. His vitals are not exactly good but they're okay. Other than that considering the beating he took he seems to have got off relatively lightly. A bullet in the shoulder and a couple of broken ribs, I won't know how many ribs until he's awake and can tell me where he's hurting."

Alec watched in silence as Dex taped Tav's ribs.

"Lift his shoulder clear of the seat for me so I can get at the bullet wound. Carefully, I don't want his ribs puncturing his lung."

Slowly Alec eased Tav's shoulder clear off the seat.

"I'm just going to put a pressure pad for the bleeding on the wound for now. Once we get him back to TC I'll sort it out properly."

"Doesn't look like the 'new décor' is surviving Tanner's unit very well," Dex snorted in amusement. The sound of breaking glass and fighting were loud even in the car park."

Alec eased Tav back over onto his back and got to his feet.

"Todd take a few guys with you and drive this van back the Bird." Alec waited until Rueb was behind the wheel and Todd had taken the place he'd vacated beside Tav before he exited the van.

Bonnie's face was in a similar state to Tav's except it wasn't as swollen. She was also lying on the floor except her arms and legs were spreadeagled and handcuffed to the rails of the metal seats. Anderson had draped his jacket over the top half of her body but her legs were naked below the hem of the jacket. Alec's eyes flicked with loathing to the dead MP lying outside the van his pants still around his ankles and his neck now twisted at an odd angle. Fucking animals.

"Hey, Bonnie. Good to have you back," Alec's quiet voice belied his building rage. Bonny was Grey's youngest female and she was even younger than Tanya.

"Sir," she answered shakily.

When her head turned in the direction of his voice he realized her eyes were swollen shut and she couldn't see him.

"If we rip the seats up we could hurt her. Best to just wait and get the keys," Steve said from where he was crouched beside her.

"None of my unit are with you, are they Sir? Anxiously she lifted her head of the ground to peer at the door. "They'd only get upset if they saw me like this. I don't want anybody to see me. I don't want anyone to know…" she trailed of starting to sob.

"No one else will come around here Bonnie. Not until we've unlocked you. There's just Sir and me," Steve reassured her again.

Poor kid she didn't have much chance of anybody not knowing what had happened to her. Grey and his males would know the minute they had her scent again.

"Shame we need to take them back alive," Steve's face was impassive as he resumed soothingly stroking Bonny's hair. His cold eyes met Alec's. "Still Grey's males will make them wish they'd died here anyway," he added his attention back on Bonny.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once again Max gazed around the car park. The middle ground had been left clear for the choppers to land but the edges were crowded with X's and freaks as they waited for Alec and their birds to arrive home with Tav.

Overcome with emotion Max gazed around her. Most of TC was here waiting to see if he was all right. Alec hadn't been wrong when he'd said that Tav was the one with the allegiances to hold it all together if something ever happened to him. All these transgens were here because they cared about Tav and because they want to support Alec.

Waiting for him to arrive and worrying about how badly he was hurt had made her realize how much she'd come to care about Tav himself. Not just because he was Alec's brother and if anything happened to him it would devastate Alec, but also because she'd come to appreciate Tav for himself. The sarcastic humour he had on tap to relieve the tension in any situation. The unobtrusive support and care he offered her and the rest of their own kind without having to be asked. Like Alec really. A good leader.

"He'll be fine Max. That little prick always had the hardest head in Manticore. Take more than a kicking from a few ordinaries to do him down," Smiling reassuringly Grey aligned the side of his body until it was touching hers. Offering her his body's warmth in the instinctive gesture of comfort that transcended pack and was given by one transgen to another when comfort was needed. She already had Leah pressed against her other side.

What she'd come to understand as she'd waited for the birds to arrive was that her own kind were also here to comfort her. They cared about how she was feeling too she'd realized with dawning wonder as more and more of them had tried to reassure her that Tav would be all right.

They had told her story after story of the past shit Tav had got into and survived. All in an attempt to alleviate her worry. As she'd listened while they'd tried to make her feel better she'd realized that they had finally accepted her. She was part of this now, part of them. No longer just an 09 escaper but a member of Alec's and Tav's pack who needed their comfort.

She struggled with the tight ball of emotion in her throat and her vision blurry with the tears she was suppressing. She'd never before felt so much like crying as she did now. She wasn't going to though. She'd be no help to Alec or Tav crying all over the place.

By the time the birds were hovering over the car park her eyes were no longer misty. When they landed she moved instinctively towards the bird she knew Alec was in. When the doors opened the first thing she saw was Todd and Steve waiting to disembark with Tav's stretcher. Max gasped in shock when she saw his swollen head. Her eyes moving quickly from the hand resting on Tav's shoulder and up to Alec's face. Her breath hitching when she saw the fear in his eyes. When she put her arms around his waist he gazed down at her his expression unfocused.

"Max," he said finally hugging her shoulders fiercely. "He started to convulse on the plane. They're going to have to operate to relieve the build up of fluid in his brain."

"Brian Cass's husband is waiting in our hospital and he's bought that brain surgeon that examined Tanya with him."

When he continued to gaze fixedly at her in preoccupied incomprehension she explained gently. "When Dix told us it was a head injury. Cass got him to come and bring the other surgeon just in case Dex and our medics needed any help."

"Yeah, that's good," Alec, agreed finally, his eyes moving quickly back to Tav.

"He'll be all right Alec she assured him her own frightened eyes following his to where Tav was now convulsing, his body straining against the straps restraining him.

"He fucking better be," Alec spat. His menacing voice chilled Max's blood and sent her worried eyes straight to his face. "He will be Alec," she assured him again tightening the arm she had around his waist in as much and attempt to comfort herself as console Alec.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When Cass paused in the doorway Alec sat up straight in his chair his head coming quickly up from Tav's bed. He left the arm that lay across Tav and Max as they slept where it was.

"I just wanted to say goodbye to Max before I went," she whispered.

Alec stared silently at her.

"The operation went well and everything is looking good. Now it's just a matter of waiting patiently and letting him heal himself," she continued glancing at Tav. "Dix knows where to reach the surgeon if he needs him. He can be here within ten minutes."

"Goodnight then," she said in the face of Alec's ongoing silence." Her eyes flicked from Tav back to Alec's strained, tired face. Her glance dropped to Alec's long arm curved protectively across both his brother's stomach and Max's waist as they slept on obliviously. He's not so bad.

One thing about him he really did care about his people and he knew how to look after them. She admired that about him. While he wasn't exactly friendly to her, he was no longer aggressive or obnoxious and she could live with that.

She was almost to the door before Alec spoke.

"Thanks."

"Your welcome," she said without pausing. Not so bad.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey," Kat said quietly.

Alec came groggily awake. Quickly getting his bearings he sat up, his eyes going immediately to Tav's heavily bandaged head. His face was still battered but thanks to his transgenic regenerative powers the swelling was starting to subside.

"I've come to relieve Max so you can both get some sleep." Kat couldn't help her smile when her eyes touched on Max nestled comfortably beside Tav soundly asleep and obviously in no need of relief.

Alec followed her gaze and smiled. "Yeah, I don't know where this 'shark DNA. I never sleep came from. Pregnant Max sleeps anywhere and everywhere." She's been asleep more or less since she lay down," he added his amusement echoing Kat's.

"There's a spare bed behind the curtain. I'll move her over there and try and get some sleep as well. You can talk to him a bit. He'll need that by now anyway. Where's Steve?" he added when he realized he wasn't with her."

"He'll be along soon. There was a ruckus in the Brig. Grey's males impatient to get at those bastards," she explained shrugging philosophically.

"They can have them after I've debriefed them."

"Yeah, they know that. But Grey's theory is that only their mouths need to be functional to answer a few questions."

Alec sighed. In truth he didn't give a fuck what Grey and his males did to those bastards but he'd been thinking while he'd been sitting here. If those fuckers had run over a hundred prisoners through Ventura the odds were that they were transgenic prisioners. Somewhere out there were a hundred of his own kind still captive and waiting to be rescued. Maybe even Ana.

Those bastards had information that he wanted and both Grey's and his own unit would have to wait until he had all of that information.

Max didn't even move when he picked her up and carried her across to the other bed. It wasn't until he lay down beside her that she stirred. Putting one arm around her he settled her into his side his other hand curving around her now very rotund belly. He smiled when he was immediately rewarded with a strong kick. Max turned sleepily onto her side her hand covering his were it rested on her stomach. She murmured drowsily and snuggled into his chest her lips on his throat.

"Why aren't we with Tav anymore? What's happened?" she asked pulling back in alarm when awareness intruded into her sleepy haze.

"He's alright. Kat's with him now," he soothed kissing her neck.

When she listened Max could now hear Kat quietly talking to Tav.

"How are you then?" she asked rubbing her cheek against his chest. Pulling his shirt out of his fatigues she moved her hand under it onto his warm skin and rubbed his back soothingly.

"I'm alright."

His words were muffled because he'd just buried his face in her neck. He's not all right. She could tell that by the tension in his body. "I love you," she whispered against his ear stroking her fingers through his hair to caress his neck.

"I love you too, Max," he mumbled against her throat.

"Tav will be alright, Alec. He's got nine lives and he's tough." She assured him again. Stroking the back of his neck soothingly she started to tell him the stories there own kind had told her about some of Tav's escapades.

The sound of her voice and her hand as she stroked him was comforting. He could feel himself starting to relax as she murmured against his ear her fingers now moving soothingly through his hair and across the back of his neck.

"I didn't know he was involved in that. That stunt got the whole unit lockdown for a week. The little prick." Alec said smiling against her neck after she'd relayed a particularly hair rising tale told to her by Drago. Todd and Biggs had been injured but Tav had come out of it unscathed as he often did.

I should have guessed Alec thought with wry amusement Todd and Biggs were always covering for him when he was younger.

"He's going to be alright Alec. He's to tough not to be and he's got nine lives," she reiterated with absolute conviction.

"Yeah," he agreed softly smiling at her easy ability to comfort him and give him hope no matter how down he was feeling. "Tav does lead a charmed life and your right about him being tough." As he said it Alec felt his worry started to recede and he really began to believe it. "And your right he's as hard to kill as I am," he added. Curving his hand across her stomach he pulled her closer into his side. Smiling when he felt the baby kick directly under his palm he closed his eyes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two days later, lying beside Tav who was still showing no sign of recovering consciousness, Max wasn't feeling so positive. Neither was Alec she realized smiling in weary sympathy when he appeared at the foot of Tav's bed for what must be the twentieth time that morning. This time he pulled up a chair.

"Steve is handling things for the next few hours. I can't really concentrate," he explained, distractedly rubbing his tense neck.

Max ran her eyes over his worried, haggard face and sighed. She'd spent the last six hours quietly talking to Tav. Telling him everything and anything in the hope that something would get through to him. She'd probably told him as much about her life outside of Manticore as she'd told Alec. He hadn't woken up yet but she really believed it was just a matter of time, but Alec had started to get despondent again.

"He's getting stronger Alec. We can feel it. Jane said the same this morning when I relieved her. His body has finished replenishing his adrenalin stores. So that's something anyway. It's just a matter of time now…" she trailed off, when he didn't move his intent gaze off Tav's face.

"Yeah," he agreed tonelessly. Leaning forward he had a really good look at Tav's face. All of the swelling had gone now and if it hadn't have been for the heavy bandage he would have just looked like he was asleep. Why the hell doesn't he wake up?

"I just wish he'd hurry up. The longer he's out to it the more it makes me think about brain damage. He'd hate that, Max…" Alec trailed off swallowing down the lump of painful emotion in his throat as he continued to fixedly inspect Tav's face as if he could will him awake.

Sighing more in sympathy with Alec's despondency than with his fear that Tav might have brain damage. I'm not even going to think about that. Max turned her attention back to Tav.

"It's time to wake up now Tav," she said crisply in the demanding no nonsense tone she'd taken to using with him. It was the voice he was used to when she wanted him to do something. Even though he never took much notice of it, Max thought she had a better chance of his subconscious recognising her if she just used her normal tone with him.

This time he did take notice and as if on que his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey little bro?" Unable to keep the emotion from his voice Alec drew his chair closer to the bed his hand on Tav's where it rested on his stomach.

Frowning in pain Tav gazed between her and Alec while he orientated himself.

"Fuck. I've got a killer headache Alec."

His voice was quiet and croaky but they could hear him clearly.

"They had one of Grey's females to Alec," he added in a rush once he'd got his bearings. "I don't know which one but his pack scent was on them. Did you get her as well?" he finished in agitation trying to sit up.

"Yeah, it was Bonny and we got her as well."

When Alec put his hand on his shoulder and eased him back down Tav winced.

"Fuck my shoulder hurts too, he complained. "And my ribs."

When Max laughed he turned to look at her.

"You've got an interesting bedside manner Max," he said, groaning at the pain in his head when he tried to smile.

"Yeah, well it worked didn't it? she said smiling complacently. "I told you to wake up and you did."

"Yeah, and my nephew encouraging me by booting me in the side every few minutes, was even more incentive than your bullying."

Max eyes locked with his and this time he did manage a small smile despite the excruciating pain in his head.

Max stared back at him. She knew he would have heard her voice somewhere in his subconscious but she hadn't really believed he'd be able to feel the little movement of the baby kicking against his side. But just in case, whenever the baby had kicked she'd moved closer and told Tav that he was kicking because he was worried about his uncle, and nudging him with its foot was his only way of telling him it was time to wake up.

"It was much better being injured when our females weren't all being fought for. Then I used to have luscious females from other packs whispering in my ear. Now days all I get is our own females," he grumbled.

"Having Kat in one ear telling you about the slapping you're going to get for worrying her and Max in the other ear grumpily ordering you to wake up pronto. Just isn't the same at all."

Tav grimaced wryly. Contrasted with the warm, soothing voices of the other females in his pack Max and Kat's stroppy, impatient demands for him to wake up had stood out memorably.

Snorting indelicately Max sat up. "I can do it Alec," she said determinedly, batting his helping hand away. She slid as gracefully off Tav's bed as her rotund belly would allow.

"I'll be back to see you later Tav."

"Yeah, and thanks Max." Tav said sincerely, ignoring his throbbing head and attempting another smile.

Max smiled in return and headed for the door.

Gingerly Tav felt the bandage on his head. "Hey, Dex hasn't shaved my hair has he?" he asked forebodingly as he groped around and felt how extensively the bandage covered his head.

"He better not have," he added indignantly. "I had enough skinhead hair cuts in Manticore to last a lifetime."

Alec rolled his eyes and started to laugh.

"I don't think he shaved it all off," he assured him unable to contain his amusement. "Only you could wake up in hospital after brain surgery Tav and merely be worried about your haircut. Just as well you no longer have a female following to be grief-stricken by the state if your hair, isn't it?" he added laughing.

Max paused in the doorway. It was so good to hear Alec's light-hearted laughter again. Grinning to herself she left him happily ribbing Tav about his 'new look' courtesy of Dex.

_TBC_


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Six Weeks Later

Max stood side on to the mirror so she could better see her reflection. Smiling in satisfaction she rubbed her hand gently across the curve of her stomach. He's so much bigger now. Looking downwards she tried to look over the bump of her belly. I can't see my feet either she though in pleased satisfaction. Only two months to go.

"What are you doing?" Alec asked his arms going around her from behind.

She leaned back into him and smiled at their reflection in the mirror. His interlaced fingers cradled her abdomen and his shoulders jutted out around her as he bent to nuzzle her neck. My belly will soon be bigger than his hands span, she thought with satisfaction.

"I was just looking at how big I am now," she said smiling happily.

He turned them sideways and stared into the mirror watching his hand slowly shaping the now obvious curve that was his son.

"Will your stomach get much bigger?" he asked in fascination.

"Yeah, of course it will. I'm only seven months and most of his growing is still happening." She angled her head so she could see him. "Yeah, soon I'll be to fat for sex," she deadpanned, her grave gaze meeting his startled eyes.

"All the books say that sex is okay right up to the very end," he explained earnestly. In fact they recommend…" he broke off mid sentence when she started to giggle.

"Cute Max."

"Now if that were really the case," he teased kissing her ear. " Then I'd have no choice but to postpone today's baby shopping and take you back to bed while I still can.

"Hmm…" she sighed. "I won't say no to going back to bed but I want to get the babies things as well. " Turning around she unwrapped the towel he had around his waist. "Let's do both?" she whispered dropping it to the floor as she stepped into the cradle of his hips and slid her hands up his back.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," he murmured against her lips.

Kissing her his hands on her waist he walked her slowly backwards towards the bed. Her guiding hand never left his neck as she held his mouth on hers while she scrambled backwards onto the bed pulling him down with her.

He settled on his elbow beside her his hand cupping the side of her face and his thumb stroking her cheek. His warm mouth claiming hers in that slow, deliberate, thorough way he'd perfected that made her feel like all her bones had turned to jelly. Her eyes felt so heavy she couldn't have opened them if she wanted to. All she really needed was the feel of his lips, his warm breath mixed with hers, his body solid and warm along the length of hers. She whimpered low in her throat when his hand cupped the ripe fullness of her breast.

He loved her plump and round and lush with all these extra curves. Everything was so much softer and more plentiful. When he pulled her even closer she wriggled against him. She loved the hard tautness and lean plains of his body pressed against hers, hard to soft. She sighed when she felt his teeth gentle on her skin as he sucked her neck. He knew just how and where to touch her to turn her into a quivering needy mass of desire.

He nibbled and sucked his way down her neck and across the crest of her breast until she felt the first exquisite touch of his tongue on her nipple. She arched up sighing in voluptuous pleasure when she felt the moist wet heat as he sucked as much of her nipple and breast into his mouth as he could.

Pulling back he lapped his tongue across her nipple. "You taste different," he murmured delicately touching his tongue to the hard aroused peak.

His mouth voraciously devouring her breast felt so good. Max's hand went to the side of his face to hold him in place and she moaned low in her throat. "Don't stop?" she panted.

When he moved closer his cock jumped as it brushed her belly and the scent of him filled her senses. He made that sexy primal noise deep in his throat when she wrapped her leg around his calf pulling him closer, trapping his cock between their bodies as she withered against him.

His breathing was laboured and rough and she could feel the tension of his desire in the tautness of the muscle under the smooth skin of his back.

"Slow down Max," he whispered his voice rough as he tried to still the frantic movement of her hips.

Kissing rough sucking kisses up her neck his mouth claimed hers again stealing her breath as his hands moved over her shaping her breasts, the curve of her stomach and stroking her sensitised skin leaving a trail of magic as they moved across her body.

He broke their kiss and gulping greedily for air she pushed him onto his back. Her hand on his cheek she leaned over him kissing him with urgent, impatient desire. She nibbled and sucked her way to his ear. Closing her mouth over it she ran a delicate, tickling tongue around the inner workings. The thick sounds of his enjoyment were pushing her past control.

"I love you," he whispered when she released the earlobe she'd been sucking. She gazed into the green, gold depths of his eyes. His face was tight and taut with his desire and his mouth wore the swollen imprint of her kiss. He belongs to me. Mine. Pulling his head down she touched her tongue to his lower lip.

"Me to," she murmured, using her tongue to softly trace the full curve of his lips.

His mouth descended to her breast again and she caught her breath as his hands moulded, teased, stroked and tormented her, wherever he touched he left her aching for more. She couldn't touch him enough and the fact that his heart was thumping and his breathing was ragged and he pulsed with a need as strong as hers made it all the more heady. The feel of his taut muscle and warm skin beneath her fingers, the angles and plains of his hard body where it touched hers was pushing her to an almost unbearable crescendo of need… and then she felt his first insistent probe at the entrance to her body. His hand slid beneath her hips lifting her to him and she felt the head of his cock slip inside her.

Alec felt her surge up to meet his urgent quest for entry and closed his eyes in hedonistic pleasure as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him deeply into her. When she slid her hands over his shoulders and pulled him down to her she was already moving frantically under him.

"Don't stop Alec. Don't stop," she murmured throatily her lips on his ear. His deep grunt of assent filled her ears as he plunged and continued to plunge relentlessly into her. Each thrust sent him deeper into her. The repeated slide of his heated flesh on hers each time he withdrew an exquisite torment.

"Faster," she panted.

When he increased the pace she clung on and met him thrust for thrust as he drove repeatedly into her. She didn't want it to end and yet she could feel the desperate tension building inside her as he continued to power relentlessly into her, his breath warm and heavy on her neck and his sound deep and raw in her ear pushing her onwards until she was clinging to him and gasping his name as wave after wave of sensation engulfed her. She felt his hot sweet surge and heard his grunt of pleasure as his shuddering release followed hers.

He chest was still heaving when he rolled onto his stomach and pulled her partially under him his hand instinctively gravitating to the round swell of her belly. Her breathing was still ragged and her heart was beating fast against her ribcage. Burying her face in his damp neck she savoured the sweet smell of his skin with its heady overlay of testosterone. She didn't want to move. Couldn't move even if I wanted to.

Alec's arms closed around her and she sighed languidly as she snuggled closer. His big body surrounded her and she could tell by how relaxed he was that he was feeling the same mellow contentment that she was.

It was times like this when she was feeling really close to him, that she would sometimes get that nagging, disquieting fear that something was going to happen and her beautiful life with him would be snatched away from her. She had the feeling less frequently now and it wasn't as scary as if had been before, but she still had it. It always served as a reminder to never take the happiness and contentment she'd found with him for granted. To never take him for granted.

She though about how bleak and unhappy her life had been before they'd hooked up together. It was incredible to think that only eight months ago there had been no 'Max and Alec,' and no baby. In fact there had been nothing much in her life but her discontent and her unhappiness and that deep sense of belonging nowhere that had been her constant awareness. That had all changed now she was surrounded by her own kind she and she belonged to Alec, and soon she'd have their baby as well.

She ignored his groan of displeasure as she moved back from and settled herself on her side her head propped on her hand. Laughing softly she resisted his attempt to pull her back and lay there slowly, thoroughly inspecting his face. His eyes were closed and she knew that he probably just wanted to go to sleep. Really hard out sex like they'd just had always made him sleepy. Nothing was ever totally perfect.

He opened his eyes when he felt her hand stroking his cheek. Brown eyes smiled into green. He's so beautiful. Slowly, thoughtfully she inspected his face feature by feature. It wasn't that he had anything different from other guys, it was just the way it all came together so perfectly on his face. Nor was it just the sum total of his features that made him special either. It was more than that it was also who he was, a combination of his personality and that whole charismatic thing he had going for him.

He turned his face into her hand and kissed her palm his eyes holding hers. She was so beautiful. It wasn't just the way she looked either. She had so many other special things about her. He was so lucky that she was his. A female like Max could have had any male she wanted, transgenic or ordinary and yet she'd chosen him. Not only was she his but soon she would give him a child.

Sometimes he'd remember the loneliness of his life before he hooked up with her. Sure he'd always had Tav and his unit but that was different, there had still been a gap. Unconsciously he'd tried to fill it with meaningless short encounters with his own kind and then a parade of faceless ordinary women once he'd escaped from Manticore. It wasn't until he'd decided that he wanted to mate with Max he'd realized just how lacking and unsatisfactory that area of his life was.

"Do we have to go shopping today?" he murmured plaintively.

His drowsy reluctance made her lip quirk in rueful understanding; he was never very keen on shopping. She on the other hand couldn't wait to buy the amazing array of things she'd discovered a baby required. In fact over the last couple of weeks she seemed to have developed a compelling almost instinctive need to gather all the stuff around her that he would need. She wanted to get it all with Alec because it felt right to do it together, and also because he had a way of turning things like that into fun. She'd been so looking forward to it ever since he'd agreed to go with her today.

He only had one day off a week and he'd much rather spend it here in bed with her than shopping for baby paraphernalia. It wasn't as if he knew anything about that shit anyway. She'd be much better off to go with one of the other women.

"We don't have to go today if you don't want to," her eyes continued to smile into his.

"Good. Then lets stay here and try out some of those positions I've read about in the pregnancy books. So we'll be practised up for when your stomach gets to big for us to do it the boring traditional way?" he murmured enticingly.

"Don't scoff at the traditional. I like it that way," she laughed.

"I like it any way," he leered back.

"When will we do the baby shopping then?"

He was about to tell her she should do it during the week with one of the women who knew about it, when the look in her eye stopped him.

"When would you like to do it?" he asked her cautiously. This was important to her. He didn't know why but he could tell by the hint of wary anxiety in her eyes.

"We could do it tomorrow?" she ventured hopefully. "It's just that I sort of feel that I need to do it soon," she added in a rush. I think it might be an instinct"…she trailed off starting to feel a bit stupid under his intense regard.

Fuck he was an idiot. It probably was an instinct for her. Surrounding herself with the things she needed to look after the baby was in all probability the equivalent of their feline ancestor's finding a safe comfortable cave to give birth in. For all he knew human females probably had the same instinct.

"If we spent all day in bed we'd only start to go stir crazy by the afternoon anyway, so lets do it after lunch today," he suggested kissing her shoulder. What the hell how long could it take anyway?

"Are you sure you want to?" she queried doubtfully. They spent every Saturday in bed and he'd never showed the smallest sign of going stir crazy before. In fact to he appeared to love it. She wanted to go shopping with him but only if he wanted to. Otherwise it would be better if she went on her own.

"Yeah, of course I want to. I've still got a lot more toys to buy for him, anyway."

Max rolled her eyes. "What more toys for the big boys you mean. Like the model cars, and the planes it takes you days to build, and the train set it took you and Tav all night to put together, " she laughed.

"A boy can never have to many toys Max. Anyway, the train set was really for Tav. He's wanted one since he was a kid and first saw them in a catalogue he'd stolen off one of the guards. We would have felt like dicks buying if for ourselves. Buying it to share with the baby is much better," he explained in all seriousness.

"Whatever Alec." Sometimes he's so juvenile he's funny. Suppressing her laughter Max settled contentedly against his side. "It's mostly clothes and the equipment you need to look after him properly that I want to buy today, but we can get more toys if you want," she added good-naturedly. "Mary has told me the best shops to go to and the right sizes to ask for in clothes. I'm buying knitting wool and needles and she's going to show me how to make some of his things as well. She's given me a list of what to get."

Alec smiled into the top of her head as she chattered eagerly on. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad way to spend his afternoon off. He'd certainly rather have spent it in bed with Max, but if he couldn't then this wouldn't be to bad. He and Tav had really enjoyed it every time they'd shopping for babytoys and after all how long would it take to get a few small clothes, anyway? Not long. He'd probably have her back in bed in a couple of hours.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two Days Later

Anderson sat back from the maps he'd been poring over while Alec and the other transgenics filed into the room. With no real surprise he noted that today it was both the male and female alpha councils they were meeting with. He glanced at General Quinn who was sitting beside him. Obviously everybody was of the opinion that the information gathered over the last six weeks was certainly important enough to warrant a full turnout.

The fact that both the councils were here today meant that they considered this to be more than just a military matter. Having Max, Kat and the rest of the women sitting in on the meeting could only be advantageous. The female council set a lot of store by the alliance between TC and the ordinary military. The male council Anderson knew had a more cynical, hardheaded view of the relationship. He felt General Quinn shift as Alec and Steve flanked by Tanner and Tav sat down opposite them.

"Good to see you fighting fit again soldier." Anderson said nodding at Tav. Amazing recuperative powers. It had astounded him that despite the severity of his injuries Tav had still been back on his feet again within a couple of weeks with nothing more to show for his ordeal than a new haircut.

"Yeah, thanks I was fit for active as of last week," Tav answered. Unconsciously he ran his hand across the shaved portion of his hated undercut before settling back in his seat his face as expressionless as the other trangenics now ranged around the table.

"I'll get straight to the point," General Quinn said without preamble once everyone was seated. "As we all now know there's a military facility hidden somewhere in the hills that General Wattie's military police have been capturing and returning transgenics too."

"Now I know you're itching to find that facility and get your people back, and make no mistake so are we," he assured the expressionless faces seated around the table. "However we need to take our time and consider all the implications before we rush in." Sitting back in his seat his expression cool and authoritative he waited expectantly for Alec as the junior officer to put his case to justify why he wanted to strike now.

You could hear a pin drop Anderson though in amusement as they waited, and waited in silence for Alec to respond. He already knew that Quinny had made a mistake. Anderson had come to understand how thinks worked well enough to know that transgenics assigned rank and respect on a different basis than the military. Therefore it was pointless to try and get them to justify and defend their intentions based on your place in a hierarchical system they had frankly come to hold in contempt. They also just didn't give a fuck about anybody else's view of what was best for them. And who could blame them for that given their experiences.

Anderson spoke before the silence became uncomfortable. "We now know that General Wattie was connected to Manticore and that he's still involved in rounding up and detaining transgenics. However as of yet we have no proof. All we know is that the MP's that grabbed Tav were under his command. Now that we have a name to work with we can track Wattie's activities but if we raid that Facility to early we risk alerting him and giving him time to cover his tracks. General Quinn wants to wait and give us more time to see what we can flush out of the woodwork now we have a name to work with. That's all."

In truth Anderson unlike General Quinn thought it didn't much matter whether they busted the Installation now or later. If they waited, then yes they might manage to gather a bit more information. However if they went now then the Facility itself could very well supply them with the ammunition they needed to flush Wattie out. As he'd told Quinny before they'd got here, given the choice, like Alec he preferred to strike now. The longer they waited the more transgenics would die.

The MP's had never delivered the prisoners to the Facility itself. Instead, they'd always been met at a rendezvous point two hundred miles to the South when in fact the facility was only a hundred miles South of Seattle. Whoever had been meeting them had travelled South to the rendezvous point and then doubled back towards Seattle with their captive transgenics, and the MP's had been known the wiser.

Because of this confusion they had for the past six weeks been searching a grid that was two hundred miles away from the actual target zone. That had frustrated their search until intelligence collected by Danny and Howl had traced a huge amount of military supplies seemingly disappearing each month into an area that had no military installations. They had narrowed this Bermuda triangle of supplies down to an area less than one hundred miles south of here and that is where The Facility had to be.

Alec's steady eyes held General Quinn's. "I've only waited this long because we couldn't find it. While we've floundered around, our own kind have been dying inside that Installation. Now we have the search grid pinned down I won't wait any longer. We gear up tonight and go early tomorrow morning."

Anderson's knew from Alec's implacable tone that there would be no dissuading him. His eyes followed General Quinn's around the room as he tried to gauge if everybody else was of the same opinion. The calm, closed faces of the other transgenics told him that while both Councils may have shown up here today they'd obviously come already unanimously agreed as to what they intended to do.

I wish my war councils could be so impassively supportive Quinn thought humourlessly, thinking about the dissension, back stabbing and disloyalty of military politics as he knew them. His eyes moved back to Alec's. A cool customer and not about to change his mind. He'll go whether I want him to or not. The question is does he go with my support and supervision.

Quinn's gaze moved past Alec to Tanner. It was Tanner who'd carried his half dead two hundred and forty pound son Damien through the jungles of Kurdistan. And for what reward? To be punished for disobeying orders and to have his unit thrown in the hole for a month because they not only finished Damien's failed mission but instead of just getting themselves clear as per their orders they'd also poked, prodded and carried Damien's fifty surviving men across three hundred miles of enemy infested jungle to safety.

When Danny and Howl had cross-referenced their, medical and general records with their service histories they'd discovered that most of the rescues that the transgenics had been involved in, had either been their own opportunistic initiatives, or a direct contravention of their orders to treat fellow soldiers like expendable collateral and just extract themselves. Despite all these people had endured at the hands of far lesser men than themselves they'd somehow managed to not only survive but also come out of it with their humanity intact. It was ironic that they were supposedly the animals.

For campaigns that the ordinary soldiers they had rescued had been decorated for, the real heroes had returned home to abuse and punishment. General Quinn's eyes moved slowly around the room. If Howl and Danny hadn't stumbled on this by chance they'd still not be any the wiser. These guys were as reticent about their past history as they were about asking for or expecting help in the present.

General Quinn gaze moved slowly around the room. They already had his respect and admiration. It was a forgone conclusion that they also had his support. He'd see that bastard Wattie in fucking leg irons in one of his own military prisons for his mockery of everything the army stood for and his betrayal of these soldiers while they were supposedly under the protection of his command. Maybe Anderson was right and hitting that facility now will flush the bastard out.

Alec watched the expressions come and go on General Quinn's face with resignation. It hadn't been his intention to piss him off. A shame really, because like the rest of them he'd gotten used to the extra safety and feeling of legitimacy being under his wing and on the military payroll and had given them. Anderson, the ornery old cuss, had even started to grow on him.

"If you go then Anderson goes as your CO." Quinn said finally into the silence.

Already thinking the meeting was at an end Alec was half out of his chair. Surprised he sat down again, his gaze flicking from General Quinn to Anderson. "He can come as an observer, but it would be bullshit to pretend he'd be anything else."

Anderson stared back at him in exasperation. Stubborn little bastard gives no quarter. There didn't seem a lot of point in arguing that his greater experience would be valuable to them. Because despite the fact they were all younger than his own son, and that he and Quinny were considered two of the longest serving, most experienced officers in the army, Alec probably had more combat experience than both of them put together. Still I am older and more experienced in other ways and that always counts for something when the chips are down.

When Quinny's exasperated, pissed off eyes met his, Anderson shrugged his philosophical acceptance. At least if he was with them, if this raid did go sideways then he'd be there to accurately report their part in it. Being there was essential.

"What's your plan?" General Quinn asked unable to keep the curtness from his voice. No matter how much he admired him, sometimes it was an uphill battle to do the right thing by this arrogant little prick.

Alec's eyes went to each of his males for their nod of ascent before he met Max's gaze. This wasn't just a military decision, rescuing their people was a transgenic issue and both female and male councils had to be in agreement. He watched as the last of her females nodded in agreement. Not that the female alpha councils approval was ever in doubt. It was no secret how highly they prized the alliance with Quinn and Anderson.

When Max nodded her consent Alec started to outline their plan. They had six birds so they'd take six units, search the grid and when they found the facility hit it hard and fast by air. The Installation would have extensive ground security to keep the inmates in and that would also serve efficiently to keep invaders out. They would be less prepared and less able to defend against an air assault. Air strike was the quickest, cleanest and fastest way to get inside, with the least risk of casualties to themselves and the best way of ensuring as little time as possible for the Facility to implement any self-destruct mechanisms.

Contemplatively Quinn looked at the planned search grid on the map now spread on the table. "So you think ninety men will be enough, do you? If it's a big Facility there could be several hundred men there?"

"Without the threat of harm to people I cared about, with two units I could have taken Manticore down in less than half and hour." Alec said bitterly. "Six transgenic units will be ample."

Quinn met his eyes with a humorous quirk of his lip. As annoying and as obstructive as Alec could be no one could fault him for his arrogant confidence.

"All right then tomorrow morning it is," Quinn agreed finally sitting back in his chair after they'd finished tweaking the last minute details.

"By the way I'd like to take those MP's you're holding back with us. The sooner I get them hidden away under lock and key the better."

"Oh yeah, them." Leaning forward Alec looked along the table. "Grey?" he asked his eye brow raised enquiringly."

"Yeah Alec?"

"I believe their ongoing security after debriefing was your responsibility? Make sure they're ready to travel when the General leaves?"

"Oh sorry General, but they tried to escape this morning and my men had to shoot them."

"What all of them," Quinn asked incredulously?

"Yeah. Sorry about that, Sir." Grey shrugged contritely. "Be assured the soldiers responsible for the laxness resulting in their attempted escape have been appropriately dealt with," he assured sincerely.

Yeah, I'm sure you laid out the fatted calf for them Quinn though in frustration. "Right," he said through gritted teeth. They could have been fucking useful once we got Wattie on the run.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alpha one, target must be close. I've got vehicles going down the mountain on the north side. Refrigerated supply truck maybe. A covered troop carrier riding low, and a jeep with four bodies bringing up the rear. Do you want me to take them out, over?"

"Tyler how's it looking on the East side, over,"

"Clear Alec over,"

"Dale what's happening at your end, over?"

"West is clear, over_." _

Alec's mind ran quickly through his options. No tactical advantage to taking out a supply truck, and the troop transport was headed away from the action. Therefore no reason to alert the Facility they were here before all his units were in place Alec decided at the same time Major Anderson spoke from the seat behind him.

"Take it out," Anderson advised. Mission priority is to keep news of this operation under wraps. We don't want word getting back to Wattie until we have control of the facility and we know for sure exactly what's inside."

"Let it go Tanner," Alec ordered.

"Yeah, already have Alec," Tanner pre-empted him.

Suppressing his exasperation Anderson settled back in his chair. At least he handles himself well. Having a higher ranked officer second-guessing you in the field is undermining. A less experienced Officer would not only have hesitated but would now be explaining and justifying himself. Alec had just ignored him.

Alpha one be advised, I've found it. Six buildings, a fifteen-metre high perimeter fence. Twenty- two manned towers. She's a big one Alec, over."

"Roger that Tanner send me your position over?"

When Tanners position flashed on the bird's consul Alec quickly plotted their fastest course and sent the co-ordinates to the other birds.

"Roger that Tanner, eta five minutes, over,"

"Yeah Alec. We'll fly over and have a good look while we're waiting for you,"

"This is alpha one, all units head for Tanner, over"

Kane one eta 5 minutes, over."

Drago one eta 7 minutes, over. "

"Zab one eta two minutes, over."

"Tyler one, eta approximately one minute, over,"

Dale one, behind Tyler, over,"

"They will have spotted Tanner's bird by now and they'll know we're here. You should have taken that truck out to be on the safe side."

"Yeah they'll know we're here, but we carry US Army markings and they're a US Army Facility. It will take them a while to figure out we're not friendly. I'm not alerting them before all my units are in place."

"Alpha one to base give me feed from Tanner's cams now, over." 

At the same time as the screen came alive with the relayed footage from his bird's cams. Tanner's urgent voice broke in Alec's ear.

"Alpha one, we've got bodies going up the wire at speed. Transgenic bodies. Looks like we've crashed a jailbreak, Alec, over." "They're all women and they're taking heavy fire from within the facility. Fuck what… Ana... I have a visual of Ana…" 

"I have that same visual, over" Alec interrupted.

The heavy rat-tat of Tanner's bird's big guns could now be heard in the background noise from their earpieces. They could hear his voice booming through their earpieces as he made his designation and rank known through the bird's loud speakers and ordered all transgenics in the compound to go for cover. The woman never faltered and just kept coming at the wire.

"I've had to start the party without you Alec, over."

"Roger that Tanner, our eta two minutes over."

"Dale one behind you now Tanner, over."

"Roger that Dale, just keep hitting the towers. When they're dead rope your unit down outside the perimeter, over "

"Roger that Tanner,"

"Tyler where are you, over?"

"Your port nine o'clock, I have a visual on you now over,"

"Your guys are inside with mine, over,"

"Roger that Tanner over."

"They got bogeys in the air. I say again they got birds up, over." Tyler's urgent voice imposed itself over the other radio traffic.

"You've got one up your ass Tanner. Your port twelve o'clock. Pull starboard, pull starboard. I got your back."

As Tyler's voice crackled through his earpiece Alec's bird crested the top of the hill giving him a clear view of the besieged Facility and the battle in progress. Tyler's guns were already spitting fire at the enemy Black Hawk behind Tanner's bird. As Tanner's chopper banked hard right to get out of the line of fire the enemy bird exploded in a ball of flame.

"The fuckers are better prepared than we thought they'd be," Anderson commented redundantly as Alec aimed their birds guns at the tower now shooting at them with an anti aircraft gun.

Take the towers to the north Drago. Zab you get the West, over."

Roger that alpha one."

Copy that Alec, over."

Kane one, we're hit. We're hit. Your port nine Tav, still airborne bogey on my ass over,"

Tav banked hard left spinning as quickly as a Black Hawk could spin and inserted his machine between Kane's wounded bird and the enemy chopper bearing down on them. "**Yes**," he whooped when Alec aimed their big guns and it exploded spectacularly.

You okay to get your ass clear Kane, over."

Copy that alpha one, limping but still airborne, over."

"Is it Ana?" Tav asked urgently, unable to take his eyes of the instruments as he fought to control the bird he was spinning at speed to face the women on the wire." Never a good air traveller Anderson hands were white knuckled as they gripped the arms of his seat. _Fucking hotdog pilots._

"Yeah," Alec said watching in dread. "She's on the top of the wire now. Too exposed."

When Ana clasped her arm obviously hit, Alec sat helplessly forward in his seat, willing her off the wire and out of the line of fire. "Get the fuck down Ana," he whispered tensely his eyes riveted on the screen.

One eye on the screen and one on the instruments Tav saw the female on the top of the wire beside Ana, launch herself clear of what was probably electric wire, throw her body over the fence, roll and somersault through the air to land on her feet on the other side of the wire. _Nice fucking move._ He saw Ana yell something over her shoulder at her and sign for the women still running at the wire to take cover. This time they fell back

At the same time as the female who'd landed on the ground carefully widened her stance repositioning her feet Tav realized the ground was mined. Simultaneously out of the corner of his eye he caught the sign for 'bomb' that she was now making at the helicopter hovering in front of her. The bird was already dangling a rope the males on it sliding at speed toward the ground.

"It's mined, the ground is mined. Pull your bird up now Seth," Tav bit out urgently, at the same time the pilot in Dale's hovering bird jerked it higher and started to climb.

Everything happened within the same three seconds and Anderson didn't have time to count how many men were clinging to the rope that was jerking in the air like a piece of string as it trailed out of the chopper. _We're going to loose them all._ His heart plummeted as the men continued to slide along the rope. The force of each soldier hitting the body of the soldier below him enough to cause him to peel off the rope.

Anderson watched in disbelief as each soldier grabbed for and clung to the one below him until the whole chain was only secured by the soldier at the top, with one hand around the rope and the other on the gun strap of the soldier in front of himDangling its human chain the chopper back peddled trying to clear the minefield. _Every man on that rope let go of his own safety line to grab the soldier below him. Six men with absolute faith that the man behind would secure him. Not to mention that one man is now supporting the weight of six. Fuck._

"Phew," Tav whistled. "That was close. Lucky they had Dale's muscle at the top."

His calm, matter of fact voice for some reason amplified the drama of what Anderson had just witnessed rather than down played it.

"Yeah," Alec agreed distractedly. He had one eye on Dale's bird and the other on Ana who was now on the ground outside the perimeter fence, gingerly picking her way across the minefield, followed by four other females treading exactly where she trod.

"What the hell are they doing?" Anderson asked in bewilderment as the last female on the wire launched herself over it and landed on the shoulders of the female still standing with her legs firmly planted on safe ground. _These people aren't soldiers they're circus performers._

"The truck they're going after the truck," Alec realized as Ana cleared the mine field, ran across the road and plunged into the woods closely followed by the other women as they trode their way clear.

"Alec," Todd boomed impatiently from the belly of the copter, not bothering with his Comms unit."

"Stay put Todd. We're not roping down here," Alec shouted back watching as the last of Tanner's male's feet hit the ground inside the compound and ran for cover. Dale and his males were now on the ground and jogging along the road towards the Facilities gates.

"Why the hell haven't they gone for cover, as ordered?" Anderson demanded as the gates swung open and despite a hail of gunfire from within the facility women blurred out and plunged into the woods at the same place that Ana had left the road.

"Tanner we're going after that truck, over,"

"Copy that Alec, over."

As the bird turned and peeled away Dale's unit reached the gates. Alec saw Dale grab the shirt of one of the women as she ran past and haul her back.

"What's in the truck Dale, over."

**"**Babies Alec. Their babies. This is a breeding facility. Their first sold batch is in that fucking truck, over."

Anderson closed his eyes in shock. Jesus if he'd been commanding this exercise. He could have been responsible for ordering a truckload of babies blown to bits.

"No, you wouldn't have Anderson. If you'd really been in command and not just trying to fuck with my head your soldiers instincts would have kicked in and you wouldn't have risked your men or unknown collateral damage for no tactical advantage, " Alec said instinctively knowing what Anderson was thinking.

Alec's eyes never left the window now showing glimpses of the running women below them as they streaked through the woods. Anderson glanced across at him "Yeah," he agreed knowing it was true. At the same time he started to feel better he began to understand why both Howl and Danny had said Alec was the best officer they'd ever served under. _The ability to understand what your men were feeling and know when and how to encourage them was a gift too few officers had._

As the bird skimmed over the heads of the running women Toddand Mark who were sitting in the seats directly by the door leaned out of the bird and whooped the Alpha war cry. The two women in the lead looked up and for a brief second Todd was looking into Ana's upturned face as she raised her arm over her head and made the alpha call sign. The bird passed quickly overhead leaving the running women behind.

"It shouldn't be far way now Alec. It's a big truck and the road is narrow so it will have to be moving slowly. It's probably only half way down the mountain. At the speed those women are running if they keep on down the mountain at that angle they should make it out onto the road ahead of it in about twenty minutes. We need to have our males on that road and in front of that truck before they track out of those woods."

"Yeah," Alec agreed knowing that Steve like him didn't want the unarmed women in the line of fire. The truck wouldn't be hard to stop but Tanner had said the troop carrier was riding low which meant a full load of probably twenty soldiers.

"Tanner to Alpha one, perimeters and outer compound secure. Three casualties for us. We've started to scope through the buildings. There are a lot of dead and injured from the facility itself… This place is a horror house Alec. I want… my support unit in the air now, over."

One of the unwritten rules of engagement is that you didn't tie up your active channel with reports of dead or injured as it demoralises and affects the soldiers still fighting. So for Tanner to be on the air already with this, Alec knew that whatever he'd found at that facility had disturbed him. Tanner had seen the same soul-destroying and horrific sights that he had, but Alec had never before heard his voice break like it just had when he'd asked for his support unit.

"Roger that Tanner, I'm on it, over."

That baby doctor that Max is friends with… my medic would also like her if it's possible, over."

Alec glanced at Steve as the rest of the their unit quieted down until it was totally silent inside the bird. All the earlier exuberant, excitement of finding Ana was now gone as they all digested what Tanner had said.

"Roger that Tanner, over."

"Alpha one to Dix. Get all our support units in the air immediately plus all the medics you can send us. Ask Max if she thinks the ordinary female medic will come. Anderson will send birds from his base to uplift them."

Alec's eyes tracked to Anderson, who nodded and reached for the birds radio handset.

Give Anderson channel to his base from the birds radio Dix, over."

"Roger that Alpha one."

"We'll see you soon Alec, over.""Yeah thanks, Max." Alec returned sombrely as they passed over the truck making its slow way down the hill. The last thing he wanted was a pregnant Max having to deal with what he was afraid they were going to find back at that facility, but there was no help for it. If Tanner needed his support unit then he would need his, and Max.

"Just find the nearest level piece of road and set her down Tav."

"Stay here with Jack and watch the bird until the target is secure Anderson," Alec said, slinging his M16 over his shoulder as he followed Steve, Howl and Danny to the bird's open door. The only noise now was the drone of the engines and the thwack, thwacking of the churning rotor blades as Tav prepared to set it down on the flat stretch of road ahead of them. He looked round in exasperation to find a fully kitted out Anderson standing behind him.

"As you are so quick to tell me boy I may not be your commanding officer, however while you and your men are on my payroll, where you go. I go."

Alec snorted impatiently. Turning his back on him, his attention was immediately back on his unit now rapidly exiting the stationary bird.

Anderson followed as the alpha unit jogged up the road until the bird was hidden from view. Alec gestured at Todd and Reuben who ran on ahead, while the rest of the unit started to melt into the tees along both sides of the road. Breathing heavily Anderson followed as they merged into the undergrowth hunkering down beside Danny and Howl.

They could already hear the low-geared whine of the trucks motor's as they ground down the hill. The troop transport past them first. Followed by the supply truck with Todd and Rueben already on the back running board working to open the doors. The jeep that had been following behind the truck had obviously been dispensed with. Without a shot being fired Anderson thought with approval as he stepped out onto the road behind the truck.

He could no longer see the troop carrier because it was now hidden by the bend in the road. Which meant of course that the soldiers on the troop carrier could no longer see the truck they were protecting. _Good grief it's like taking candy from a baby. _The sound of automatic weapons fire and the metallic clunk of bullets hitting the side of the truck were now audible up ahead.

Jogging along behind the supply truck as it disappeared around the bend they rounded the corner just in time to see the back doors swing open. When Todd called, "We're inside." Alec mounted the trucks running board beside the driver's door and Steve did the same on the passenger side. The sound of breaking glass was audible above the laboured noise of the trucks motor.

Up ahead the now stationary troop carrier was skewed across the middle of the road with transgenic soldiers boarding it on both sides.

At the same time the driver sailed out of the Supply truck and into the trees two men were also thrown out the back door onto the road. As the truck came to a grinding halt, a grim faced Todd followed them out. The two men had landed in the dirt on their asses and were now using their hands to frantically back peddle away from him. He'd shot them both between the eyes and was already turning back to the truck before Anderson could react.

Anderson couldn't help his feeling of distaste. Those men hadn't presented any weapons in fact they looked to be civilians. He knew these guys didn't take any prisoners if you fired on them. He understood that. Neither did he. However killing unarmed civilians was inexcusable.

The first thing Anderson noticed when he followed Todd into the truck was the smell, then the unnatural quiet. The stink of baby shit was pungent but there was another odour as well. One that he instinctively knew sure as hell didn't belong with babies. He gazed at the wall to wall shelving in horror. There were about fifty babies packed head to toe in a space that would struggle to hold twenty comfortably. Seeing this many quiet and unmoving little babies without their mothers, packed in this careless way was frighteningly unsettling. Anderson could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing to attention.

Alec sprang up into the truck followed by Steve. "It smells like death in here. Jesus are we to late?" he said his voice cracking with emotion as he moved closer and gazed at the still little figures."

Todd had gravitated back to the little black haired tyke he'd seen when he first boarded the truck. Its little arms were raised above its shoulders and its tiny starfish like hands were lying open besides its ears. He knew it was dead. "I think so," he croaked hoarsely and for the first time Anderson realized tears were streaming down his face.

"One of these must have been Ana's…"

_Ana, the girl who'd saved Danny's life. One of these babies was hers_. Anderson snapped out of his horror filled trance, "No we're not to late. They were selling them. It's not in their interests to kill them. They're just drugged to keep them quiet. Get them up. Hold them," he ordered his father's instincts taking over. He didn't really know what they should be doing but they had to do something.

When nobody moved he quickly went to pick one up. It was cold and stiff. Blanking out his shock he hastily moved to the next one. Limp but warm and alive. Picking it up he shoved it into Todd's arms and picked up another one.

"Get in here," Steve roared suddenly galvanised into action. Awkwardly he picked a baby up and moving quickly to the back of the van handed it carefully to Mark when he appeared in the trucks doorway.

"Get your kit off. They're transgenic babies and they'll need to feel skin," he instructed the rest of their males as they clustered around the open doors. Quickly they started to divest themselves of their equipment.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ana was breathing heavily. They'd been running for a little over half and hour but it felt like a lot longer. She'd been locked up for fourteen months now without any real exercise and her body was feeling the unaccustomed activity.

"We need to head for road now," Julia panted in the clipped English she always used when she was either scared or at a disadvantage.

"We're going to get them back Julia," Ana repeated for what was probably the thousandth time. She'd being saying it like a litany over the last two days while they'd planned this escape. Trying to reassure the women that they did have a fighting chance of retrieving their babies and making a successful run for it. But this was the only time that she'd said it, that she'd actually believed what she was saying.

When she'd heard Tanner's voice over that loudspeaker telling them they were being liberated, she'd started to hope. But it wasn't until she'd heard her own unit's war cry and looked up at that bird, straight into Todd and Mark's grinning faces that she'd really believed they could make it. Tanner's and her own unit would never betray her and if they were here it had to be to help them.

Without breaking her headlong run Julia angled sideways for the road and Ana and the other woman followed. "Yes, Baby will be all right. I know that," she said with absolute faith. Not for the first time Ana marvelled at Julia's ability to believe even in the absence of all hope.

Right from the time she had first shared her limited knowledge of the outside ordinary world with her Julia had started to talk about what she and Baby would do once they were free and living in the outside world like ordinaries did. She had never doubted that they would escape and that she would get to see and experience everything Ana had told her about. Two days ago when they'd first discovered that their babies had been sold and were being shipped out. While Ana had still been wallowing in the depths of hopeless despair, Julia had accepted it with equanimity and calmly started to plan their escape.

When they burst from the bush onto the road Ana knew straight away that the truck hadn't passed yet. Julia sniffed the air confirming what Ana already knew. "No truck yet. We've beaten it."

They waited until some of the other women had cleared the woods and started to run back along the road.

When they came across the abandoned bird parked in the middle of the road Ana knew something wasn't right. Her unit would never leave vital equipment unattended unless something was wrong. With dread in her heart she ran hard up the road. The truck was parked around the corner. She ran past the scattering of dead ordinary soldiers lying beside the road. Running down the side of the truck she could see the males in her unit either sitting or standing on the road their shirts stuffed full of their babies.

The quiet hit her first. No crying and no wriggling and she could smell the familiar scent of death. Frantically she searched for Todd. He'd have found her baby by now. He'd have recognised his own scent. She quickly found him and was kneeling in front of him before he had a chance to rise from where he was hunkered down beside Tav.

Frantically she pulled the blankets off the faces of both the babies he had stuffed inside his shirt already knowing they weren't hers. The scents were all wrong.

"Your's isn't here Ana," Todd explained when she leaned over and quickly pulled the blankets aside on the two still little bundles Tav was holding. _Susie's and Baby._ _Tav__ had found the baby that carried his scent and if her baby were here, Todd would also have found him._

"We've got Tanner looking for yours back at the compound, " Todd continued on. "We have control of the facility now. It will be all right. We'll find it," he assured her feeling anything but sure as he looked into her frantic eyes. There were already three dead babies in the truck and probably more back at the facility. He could only hope hers wasn't one of them.

"Him, he's a boy" Ana said faintly, looking around her in bewilderment. _Her baby was supposed to be here. Where was he?_

"What have they done with him," she whispered in anguish.

"Why isn't he here with the rest of them?" Panicked without thinking she turned to run back. Only to be grabbed awkwardly by Todd juggling the two babies as he tried to hold onto her shirt.

"Let me go Todd," she cried, jerking out of his hold.

"Its all right Ana," Alec said from behind her. "Tanner is looking for your baby now. He'll have found him long before we get back there. "Here," he said, awkwardly offering her the baby he was holding. "You hold him for me while I organise an evac so we can go back and get your baby."

"I can run back faster," she said shrugging him off.

"No you can't Ana. Back is uphill. It'll take you over an hour. The bird will get us back faster than that." Again he offered her the baby. She looked down at the baby and back to his face. Unprotestingly she took the still little bundle. Her expression blank she turned abruptly and started to walk back to the bird. His arms now baby free Alec watched as Todd and Mark each with two babies still nestled inside their shirts clumsily retrieved their M16's and followed her down the road.

Julia's nose had unerringly located both her baby and her baby's 'genetic contributor.' She knelt in front of Tav to retrieve Baby.

Still in a state of befuddled shock Tav instinctively, without thinking turned the baby carrying his scent away from Julia and presented her with the baby that carried Shane's scent.

"No," she negated, emphatically shaking her head. "This one mine." Her steady gaze locked with his and she reached across him and relieved him of Baby.

The baby in her arms she sat back on her heels. Tav watched her fluid rise to her feet his eye travelling up her mile of long leg to the bullet wound she had on her right thigh to where she now towered above him. When he rose to his feet to his surprise her eyes were level with his. _Fuck she's tall. _

"Baby feels wrong! What has happened?" she wailed in panic, her large, brown, tragic eyes suddenly liquid as they flashed between Tav and the baby she was now jiggling to try and wakeup.

"She's been drugged to keep her quiet. They all have, but we think they're all right," he rushed on to hurriedly assure her, feeling no such assurance.

"Don't jiggle her," he snapped more sharply then he'd intended. To his own surprise his hand was already on her arm stilling her jiggling motion.

Julia stepped hastily back from his hand.

"Baby likes it," she said defensively.

"Don't do it while she's like this. You might make her sick and if she's drugged she could choke on her own vomit."

Her aghast, panicked expression surprised Tav, but she stopped jiggling the baby. She was now holding her out in front of her like she was a time bomb about to explode.

"Put her upright on your shoulder. Like this. Then if the drugs do make her sick she at least won't choke," Tav patronisingly parroted what Anderson had told them all before the women had arrived.

Julia flinched as she hurriedly shifted Baby upright on to her shoulder, her sore shoulder, but the one farthest away from him. Turning sideways so Baby was even further away she glared balefully at him. He helps Baby but I don't like him.

"Thank you," she said resentfully. "Now go away. I don't need your help."

Tav saw her flinch as she shifted the baby and realized that as well as the bullet in her leg she'd also injured her shoulder. She's the one the other women used as a springboard to avoid the minefield. No wonder he shoulder's injured.

Even though she was injured and could hardly hold the baby she was still clutching her way from him as if he was a threat to it. For some reason when he should have been feeling sympathy for her he felt nothing but irritation and anger. That made him feel guilty and he hated feeling guilty.

She obviously didn't know much about looking after babies. In fact, standing there defensively shielding that baby who carried his scent and glaring defiantly at him she looked like a sulky child herself.

"I am mother. I know what I am doing."

What's the deal with this Pidgin English, shit?

He didn't recognise her scent as being part of any of the pack scents he was familiar with. Her pack must be a very junior unit. Probably from Tanner's area of the compound and that's why he hadn't encountered it before.

"Whose unit are you from," he snapped? _Let her own pack sort her out._

"Go to hell," she snapped back mirroring his belligerence.

Tav's eyes narrowed on her. "That baby has my scent on it. Why the fuck is that?" he demanded aggressively.

The harshness in his voice surprised even him, but he wanted some answers. That baby's scent was so close a match to his that he had to have fathered it. If it had been cloned from him the scent would be identical to his. It wasn't. Instead it was a blend of his and this female's scent. Since he certainly hadn't fucked Big Bird here. That left only one possible scenario. Whoever was running that breeding facility had used his stolen genetic material to breed that fucking baby? Although he'd never given his sperm voluntarily, the times he'd been injured the bastards could have taken enough to repopulate Manticore and he'd have been none the wiser.

Struggling to control his escalating anger he pinned her with cold eyes while he waited for her to answer. This slow building rage that he was feeling was foreign to him. He never got angry like this. It was a complete waste of energy. He knew that being angry with her was irrational. It wasn't her fault. She'd had as little choice about what they'd put into her body as he'd had about what they'd extracted from his. He was also aware that open hostility with her wasn't going to solve anything.

Her wide eyes stared at him and she gulped as she searched for a suitable answer.

"You genetic contributor. That's all," she said finally. Again she shifted the baby further away from him as if he was going to hurt it. Moving him from angry to enraged.

He felt an inexplicable, irrational urge to jerk the baby off her and tell her where she could shove _genetic contributor. _Practically speechless with rage and not really understanding why, he searched his brain for something sensible to say.

"Fuck you," he said finally, glaring venomously at her.

She curled her lip disdainfully and gave him the finger.

"I never fucked you," he retaliated looking her up and down insultingly. _I wouldn't fuck her if she were the last female left on earth._ "That baby wasn't made in the proper way so you're only a genetic con…"

"Baby is so proper. Baby beautiful," she interrupted aghast. "You just fucking horrible bastard," she hissed at him.

"I didn't say she wasn't proper. I said she wasn't properly **made**. By **me** fucking **you**. The way babies are supposed to be made. Are you stupid or something?" he ground out angrily.

"So that makes you only a 'genetic contributor' as well," he finished glowering belligerently at her.

"No. No. Julia mother. You 'genetic contributor.'" Her lip started to quiver and she gazed frantically around her.Clutching her baby tighter she finally buried her face in its blanket and started calling for Ana like a child would.

Tav stared at her in horrified shock. _Fuck could this be any worse. She's a nomalie._

Alec came up behind him. "What the hell have you done Tav,' he demanded impatiently looking from Tav to a now sobbing Julia.

That made Tav all the angrier. "**Me**. **I** haven't done anything. **She's** not right in the head. **She** can't look after a baby," he bit out in disgust.

Julia's head came up and she stopped crying. "I can so. I am good mother. Baby likes me." Her angry gaze dropped to the baby Tav was still holding, and in his agitation was now unconsciously jiggling.

"Stop giggling Susie's baby. You'll make her sick," she snapped angrily.

Narrow eyed his nostrils flared in frustrated rage Tav stopped jiggling.

Wiping the back of her hand gracelessly across her eyes Julia mustered her dignity. "I am so right in the head. I'm just newly born and still learning, that's all, but I'm as smart as you." She held Alec's gaze before flicking onto Tav. "And much smarter than that mean bastard," she said dismissing Tav with a haughty curl of her lip as she started down the road.

Yep, definitely a dime short of a dollar Alec thought.

"Where the hell are you taking that baby?" Tav demanded in panic after her departing back.

"Alec, she's not right in the head. Do something," he hissed. Shifting the baby he was holding higher up his shoulder he went after her with Alec following in his wake.

"What is your designation and whose unit are you from?" Alec demanded in his sternest most authoritative voice.

"Fuck off." She glared at him

"Okay." Alec's eyebrow rose and he sighed, lamenting the fact that a tactic that always worked so well with males could be so counter productive when applied to females. He thought about the best course of action. _Humour her._

"Alright then. Ana's waiting at the bird to go back to the facility," he said deliberately like he was talking to a slow child. "Perhaps you'd like to wait for the rest of us with her?"

She smiled sweetly at him, "That's… where… I ...was ...going," she explained slowly like he was the backward child.

"Right then," Alec agreed affably plastering an insincere smile on his face. _Definitely not right in the head._

"I'll send a medic for your leg," he called after her departing back. Shrugging that he'd done his best he ignored Tav's dissatisfied scowl, and turned back to the truck. Only to find the women and babies he'd been unsuccessfully trying to organise were now following Julia in a nice orderly line.

Alec turned as Steve came up behind him. "That's all the women now," he said absently patting the back of the baby he was holding.

Watching him Alec thought that of all of them he was the one who looked the most at ease with a baby perched on his shoulder.

"The three dead babies mother's weren't amongst the women who made it here. They must still be back at the facility. It's good that the support units aren't far away. They can break the news to the mothers. I sure as hell don't want to be doing it." Steve said with feeling.

_Fuck no. Neither do I_. "Yeah," Alec concurred in heartfelt agreement thinking about what awaited them back at the Facility.

"What do you want to do with the truck?"

"Leave it here. No point in taking that coffin back."

"Yeah, Steve agreed. Did you know Anderson was talking pictures of it?

Alec shrugged his indifference.

"I don't think any of these women are from Manticore Alec." There's just no scent on them that I recognise. If it was just one or two, then okay I could believe that maybe I'd just never encountered their pack scent, but not this many. There are to many of them for that to be possible."

"I was thinking the same thing Steve."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alec glanced sideways at Tav's stony face now fixed stoically ahead as he flew the bird back to the facility. Alec wanted to say something to him but he didn't really know what he could say.

_A kid made from Tav's sperm. Fuck if I'm finding it hard to believe, what the hell is he_ _thinking._

Tav who in some ways was little more than a kid himself had woken up this morning with nothing to worry about other than his next leave. Only to find that by lunchtime he was the father of a baby who'd been made without his consent from a sample stolen from him. And it looked like that baby had a mother who was at best simple minded, if not fucked in the head.

_Fuck, it would have to be every transgen male's nightmare to be the father of a kid that he couldn't protect properly. _Maybe, the best Tav could hope for was that because of the nature of the way the baby had been made he wouldn't start to think of it as his.How they hell would he manage given their territorial and possessive natures if his instinct to protect it kicked in? _It would be a fucking nightmare_.

And what about the baby's mother? There was definitely something odd about her. Alec gazed back over his shoulder into the belly of the bird now packed with the women and their babies. _There' something odd about all of these women. _Uneasily his glance swept over them again.

The scent of their fear had faded, but it had been strong when they'd first boarded the bird. They'd all been wide-eyed with alarm until Julia sensing Tav's impatient disdain, despite her own obvious unease had squared her shoulders and feigning nonchalance led them all onto the bird.

As of yet Alec hadn't really had a chance to talk to Ana as she'd been too anxious about her missing baby to bother her with questions. However the women's obvious discomfit about boarding the bird had confirmed his conviction that they certainly weren't Manticore trained soldiers. Another puzzling fact was that Julia despite being simple minded seemed to be their alpha.

Moving back into the belly of the bird he sat down opposite Todd who was seated beside a pale, tense Ana. Todd glanced deliberately from Tav and back to Alec shaking his head in sympathy, his thoughts obviously along the same lines as Alec's. Alec raised his eyebrows in silent agreement. _What a fucking mess._

"Tanner to alpha one, tell Ana I've found her baby and he's alive. Reagan's is holding him at the moment. He got left behind because the truck was too full, over."

"Roger that Tanner thanks our eta five minutes, over."

Grinning jubilantly Todd bent and relayed the message to Ana.

Alec couldn't help smiling as she hitched the baby she was holding higher on her shoulder and unceremoniously grabbed Todd's earpiece. Nearly dislocating his ear in the process if the extravagated way he was now rubbing it was any indication.

"Are you sure he's mine Tanner? There are other babies there with the alpha pack scent on them."

"Yeah, Ana I'm sure. This little one is pure alpha pack and your smell is all over him."

As far as she knew her baby was the only baby there who was pure alpha pack. Reassured it was indeed her baby and grateful to Tanner for not just blurting that the baby also had Todd's scent she glanced furtively sideways. Quickly jerking her eyes away when she encountered Todd's shocked expression. I've done nothing wrong. It's not my fault. She reassured herself fixing her eyes in front of her again and ignoring him.

Alec's eyes went straight back to Todd now wearing the same horrified expression he was sure was reflected on his own face.

Fuck no. There can't be more of them fathered by us. By the time his stunned eyes had found Steve's the full import of what Ana had just said hit him. There could be one of mine down there. He could tell by the look of horror on Steve's face the same thought had just occurred to him.

Fuck. What were they flying their mates into?

"Alec what…" Max's shaky, bewildered voice reflected his own feelings.

"Its all right Max. Everything will be fine. I'll sort it out once I get there. What's your eta, over?"

He already knew her eta. He was only trying to distract her from thinking about what they'd just heard. If Max got upset then their baby got upset and there was nothing to be gained by worrying until they had the full facts..

"Eta thirty minutes Alec," she said her voice steadier.

Leaning forward his elbows resting on his knees he stared numbly at his clasped hands hoping like hell that in thirty minutes time he wouldn't be trying to find a way to tell her that their precious, eagerly awaited baby, made all the more special by the fact it was something they had created together. Had been preceded by another child, made carelessly and uncaring from a sample stolen from him. Fuck, Would any of them ever be free of Manticore.

His gaze caught and held Steve's who was looking as panicked as he was feeling. Down at that Facility there were more babies fathered from the sperm of alpha pack males. The best they could hope for was that they were the offspring of the unmated males in his pack. The alternative was unthinkable. How the hell given the territorial and possessive instincts of transgenic male and female transgenics would a mated male be able to protect the child of a female who wasn't his mate.

Getting up again he went back and sat in the co pilot's seat next to Tav. Looking into his eyes as he turned toward him he now knew exactly what needed to be said.

"It'll be all right Tav, we'll sort it out. 'Genetic contributors' have rights."

"Yeah?" Tav scoffed bitterly, his eyes fixed back on the window. "Tell that to fucking Manticore."

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

Julia looked around at her females. Sixty had tried for the wire but only twenty-two had made it out of the facility with her and Ana. It was unthinkable that only this small group had survived. Her gaze swept lingeringly over her woman smiling reassuring as she caught each of their eyes. _The others just had to be all right_. _Especially Susie._

Just before Julia jumped from the wire into the minefield, her last sight of Susie had been Groper clubbing her with his baton and using his tazer to try and move her out of his way. She blinked back the tears. Susie had always been there to share her hopes and her dreams. Even when she'd still been in the tank in The Labs she only had to move her eyes to be able to see her. _She had to be all right._

Her body was hurting so much that she now felt light headed and sick. She hadn't really healed from the beating she'd taken two nights ago when they'd first tried to take Baby off her. With the new agony of her leg and her injured shoulder, plus the worry of what was happening to her females still back at the facility, it was almost more than she could bear.

Swallowing her mounting anguish she glanced down at Baby. She'd never, ever slept as deeply or for as long as this before. Her small body just felt so wrong. That was the biggest worry of all. Taking great care not to jiggle her she moved Baby sideways on her shoulder so she could peer at her little face. Her tiny mouth usually pursed so cutely when she slept was slack and her body was still so droopy and limp.

Pushing down her fear her eyes went to the front of the bird where she could see the back of the chairs she knew hid Baby's 'genetic contributor' from her view. He'd said Baby was only like this because of the drugs they'd given her and as long as she didn't juggle her she'd be all right. He must be pretty smart since he was the one who was driving, so if he said it then, it was likely true. _It had to be true._

Burying her face in Baby's blanket she let the tears slide down her cheeks. She didn't want her females to see her weak and frightened like this when they needed her strong. But what if he wasn't smart? What if he was wrong and Baby wasn't all right. She tried to push the unthinkable from her mind like she did all the other thoughts that she didn't want in her head, but it wouldn't go away.

What if Baby died? She clutched her closer trying to still her shaking shoulders as she cried quietly against her little back. It was bad enough that Susie and the rest of her females might be dead but she just wouldn't want to live anymore if anything happened to Baby.

Kerry, Mary and Angie's babies had died on the truck before they'd even got there. So these drugs that they had given Baby could easily kill her like they'd killed them.

She could feel the women on either side of her move closer pressing their bodies against hers in comfort. Fighting back her distress and worry she choked down her tears and raised her head sitting upright. Crying would help no one and seeing her cry would only make her females even more afraid than they already were.

Sitting on the seat opposite Anderson watched Julia anxiously examine her baby. He once again felt the welling of rage he'd experienced when the initial urgency of removing the babies from the truck had passed. _What sort of sick fucks took babies off their mothers drugged them and then tried to sell them._

His eyes moved to the front of the bird to where the three little corpses were laid out. Julia's head came up and her eyes fixed on his. The sort of sick fucks who wore the same uniform as he did, his supposed peers and fellow soldiers. He wanted to say something to her. But what the hell did you say to a woman who probably saw him as no different from the bastards who'd stolen her baby, drugged it and then tried to kill her when she'd gone after it.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you and all your babies back at that Facility," he said his all encompassing glance including the women who sat along side Julia. I promise you that you're free now." _And the people who should have been defending your freedom will be doing their jobs from now on._

Andersonhadn't really expected the women to respond and they didn't surprise him. When he'd heard Max tell Alec that a civilian doctor was coming and bringing her whole team with her. He'd been really adverse to the idea of involving civilians. He knew Quinny had hoped to keep this action under wraps until everybody had been debriefed and they had a plan as to where to proceed from there. Had they not already been in the thick of the battle at the time he would have insisted Alec leave the civilians out of it. However that had been before he'd boarded the truck and seen the plight of these babies. _Just as well I didn't interfere._

"Once we get back to the facility there'll be a specialist doctor and an intensive care unit arriving to check your babies out for you," he said, his eyes moving from Julia to her baby." He didn't give a fuck who knew about this now. The priority was these babies. If he had to fly the whole staff of every hospital in Seattle here, he would if it would prevent another baby's death.

Pushing down her unease Julia stared right through him. If they were free then why was this ordinary here? When Ana had shared her dream of living free, it had been about all of them being able to live in the outside world without interference from humans. How could they be free if these ordinary soldiers were here?

Her unsettled glance moved over the big mean looking one with the shaved head who was sitting in the corner by the door. _He even looked like Groper._ She started in surprise when her glance moved onto the younger one. Ana was not only talking to him, but she seemed pleased to see him and was actually smiling. Ana never spoke to ordinary guards. She ignored them like the ordinary filth she'd said they were when she'd taught them the ways to fight them that had enabled even her most pregnant female to defend herself.

When Ana had first arrived at Quintella Julia and the rest of the women had been astounded to discover that not only were there more of their own kind living on the outside, but their babies genetic contributors were real live males whom Ana had actually known before they'd all been killed when Manticore burned down.

That was why Ana had been really sad when she'd first arrived at Quintella because her mate and all her pack had been killed in that fire. At first she'd spent most of her time trying to provoke the guards to kill her. Julia and her females had all had to work really hard to keep her alive.

When they'd finally taken her to be impregnated Ana been even more upset. She'd tried even harder to get the guards to kill her, saying she wasn't helping them to make any more slaves. If Julia hadn't agreed to trade with Groper that last time when Ana snapped two of his soldiers necks, he would have sent her down the block as a disciplinary problem. Her baby would have been extracted and she would have been terminated. Quickly she blanked the thought of trade with Groper from her mind. _If she didn't let it in her head it couldn't hurt her._

It was only when females from Manticore had started to appear at Quintella and had told Ana that not everyone had been killed that she'd stopped wanting to die, and started to hope that some of her unit might still be alive.

It had been such a relief when she'd started to want to live. Not just because they wanted to keep hearing all the amazing stories she would tell them about her wonderful life growing up with her pack either, but also because even though she hadn't been made in the Labs like them they'd accepted her as one of their and grown to love her.

The very best thing about it was that once Ana had found out her unit might be alive she'd started to talk about escaping and what they would do when they were free. It was Ana who had given them the faith to believe there was a better life out there.

That was the beginning of the hope that one day they would be able to look after their babies the way they instinctively wanted to but the ordinary bastards at the facility wouldn't let them. Talking and dreaming and planning what they'd do when they escaped had been so exciting. More importantly for the first time Julia had words, promises and dreams she could use to give her females hope and keep them wanting to live.

By using the promise of the wonderful life Ana had told them they would have once they escaped Julia had managed to stop her females from killing their babies and themselves. Up until two days ago there hadn't been one suicide in Quintella for over twelve months.

There had been a further spate of suicides when the guards had first tried to take their babies, but once she'd found out what was happening and had devised their escape plan it had given her females hope again and the suicides had stopped. Julia's gaze went to the pilot's chair that except for his shoulder hid Tav from her view.

Ana had told them so many stories about the exciting and brave things she'd done with her unit. Julia had listened especially hard to the stories about Tav. She had been so pleased that Baby's genetic contributor had been such a good strong alpha. She'd even been a little sorry that Baby hadn't been a boy so she could have given her the name he no longer needed since he was probably dead. Just like Susie and the other women had given their babies the names Ana had said their 'genetic contributors' had used before they'd been killed.

Now a lot of her females with male babies would have to give their babies names back since their genetic contributors were also probably not dead and would still need them. _Susie will hate that. She loves her baby's name._

Julia's eyes lingered on the back of Tav's chair. Ana had told them all that transgenic males were nothing like the cruel, nasty ordinary bastards who ran the facility. She'd said they protected females and babies instead of hurting them like the guards. But Baby's genetic contributor wasn't any different from ordinary males. He wasn't kind. He was mean and hateful just like the guards.

He'd even said an innocent little baby who he didn't even know wasn't 'proper.' When she was so. Baby had so been born in the proper and right way and not in the Labs like her and her females. Baby was just like him, and Ana and all the other transgenics from Manticore. The only difference was that she had a transgenic mother instead of a human mother. _What wasn't 'proper' about that?_ Angrily she glared at Tav's chair. _I'll snap his neck if he says she isn't proper again. _

Her eyes swung to Alec when she sensed him looking at her. I don't like him either. He's just as mean. He treats me like I'm stupid. Once I get more books to read I'll know as much as him. More even. Frowning her eyes went back to Tav's chair. Once we really get free, the first thing I'll do is get a book on how to drive one of these bird things. Ana will know where to get a book like that.

Alec's tentative smile faded under her angry glare. _What the fuck was her problem._ He'd been watching as her eyes had roamed the room. She was definitely the alpha here, and a strong one, he realized as her eyes glowed into his and she stared him down aggressively.

Calmly he returned her gaze.

More alpha than me she accepted with the quick equanimity of her kind, letting the light of challenge fade from her eyes before looking haughtily away. _So alpha he didn't even need to engage with me to prove it._

Alec studied her with amusement. She might be simple minded but she'd extracted herself from that challenge with more dignity than many males who'd challenged him. What a handful she'd be if she had all her wits about her. Thank god females were Max's responsibility and she'd be there to sort her out once they got to the Facility.

His eyes touched on the baby's dark head again. He'd been sitting here fighting an almost over whelming urge to lean over and see that she was still breathing. He knew what it was. It was the same possessive, protectiveness he felt for the rest of his pack. That baby had Tav's scent on her and that made her his niece. He suppressed his resigned sigh. _Fat chance of Tav's instinct to protect her not kicking in if his already had._

He raised his eyebrow in understanding when almost on que Tav's agitated, voice sounded in his earpiece. "Alec will you check that the baby with my scent on it is still alright?"

"Yeah Tav. I'm doing it now." His eyes holding Julia's Alec leaned over to peer at the baby.

Surprised Julia drew back. Her hand immediately going to shield Baby from him.

Realizing her gesture had been instinctive Alec smiled reassuring. "I just want to see she's still okay."

Julia moved her hand from where it hovered protectively over Baby's head. Even though she knew he was no threat she couldn't help tensing when his long finger touched Baby's cheek.

_Her cheek was warm but what the hell did that mean_. FrowningAlec sat back in his seat his eyes meeting Julia's again.

If this had been an injured soldier he would have immediately known what was required, but these babies were so small and defenceless. He was really at a complete loss as to what to do for them. Even Anderson who had baby experience didn't really know. At least he'd been able to give them the basics to keep them alive until they could get them proper medical help.

"Alec?" Tav's edgy voice prompted impatiently.

"She's not woken up yet but she seems to be fine Tav." 

"Bring her up her so I can see her?" he demanded tersely.

Yeah, like this female is going to let me do that Alec thought smiling artlessly at Julia, who having heard his part of the conversation was now glowering suspiciously at him.

"Would you like to go and sit up the front next to the pilot for a while?" Alec asked her hopefully_. Since she was simple-minded that might appeal to her._

Her eyes narrowed and her scowl deepened.

"We should be back at the Facility very shortly. If we go upfront we can see what's happening before we land," he added hoping that concern for what was happening to her females might encourage her.

"I'll carry her for you," he quickly offered realizing when she swayed to her feet that the bullet wound Dex had temporarily dressed wasn't her only injury.

"No. I will carry her. But thank you," she added regally as she preceded him to the front.

Sliding into the seat next to Anderson Alec gestured her forward when she stopped and hovered uncertainly behind the two front seats.

Ignoring her as she sat gingerly on the edge of the seat next to him Tav's eyes went straight to the baby.

"What happened to her forehead? That wasn't there before," he demanded accusingly when he saw the scratch on the side of the baby's face." _I knew she wasn't fit to look after a baby._

"What?" Julia gasped in shocked panic almost forgetting not to jiggle Baby as she hastily held her out in front of her to see what other awful thing had happened.

"What?" she wailed in panic her eyes avidly running over Baby.

"There. That scratch."

Julia's shoulders sagged in relief, realizing he'd got her in a panic for nothing.

"Don't be ridiculous," she bit out scathingly. Her finger smoothed soothingly over the tiny little scratch Baby must have made on her own face before they'd drugged her.

"Baby's scratch themselves like this all the time," she told him in perfect imitation of his own patronising voice when he'd told her not to jiggle Baby.

That baby had been out of his sight for less than an hour and already that incompetent female had managed to damage her. _I would have noticed if that injury had been on her face before._ It wasn't serious he knew that, but that wasn't the point. She was a very small baby and she shouldn't have any injuries at all.

Reassured there was nothing else wrong with Baby Julia sat forward on the edge of her seat her fascinated gaze drawn to the window and her first glimpse of the outside world now spread magically out in front of her.

_So many trees.__ So much green._ "It's so cool. I knew it would be like this," she breathed in awe. _I'm definitely learning how to drive one of these. _

"Yeah," Tav replied inattentively his attention still on the baby. She didn't look all right to him. She should definitely be awake by now. _What the hell did Alec know about babies anyway? His hasn't even been born yet._

"Anderson, he demanded curtly as if he was talking to a Junior Officer.

"What?" Anderson barked from behind him.

"Is this baby all right?"

Standing up Anderson peered over the back of the seat. "No, it fucking isn't Tav. It's been kidnapped and drugged when it should be home safe and sound with its mother. But it's alive and as long as we keep it upright, warm and keep stimulating it to breath like she is," he jerked his head to Julia who was patting Baby's back. "Then it should be okay until we can get the paediatrician to check it out."

"She," Tav corrected impatiently, his snort of dissatisfaction his only other comment on Anderson's wholly unsatisfactory answer.

He still had that uncomfortable feeling of agitated, anxious worry that he usually only ever had when his pack was under threat. However having the baby and that weird mother of hers here where he could at least see them was definitely making him feel calmer.

Julia watched Tav's hands move over the complicated array of instruments in fascination. _He must be very smart if he knows about all of those._

Sitting back in her chair her admiring eyes alternated between Tav still ignoring her, and her view of the landscape through the birds curved window. He's definitely really smart she thought as he fiddled with the dials on the thing she knew was a course-plotting device. She'd read all about navigation in a really interesting book on maritime map reading Susie had stolen from one of the guards.

"I suppose you've read a lot of books?" she said admiringly into the lengthy silence.

"What?" Tav asked unable to keep his exasperation and impatience from registering in his voice as he rolled his eyes at this further evidence of her oddness. _What the hell did how many books I've read have to do with anything?_

"Put your harness on," he snapped, suddenly noticing she wasn't wearing it. _How dopey is she._ That was one of the first things you learnt it basic training. Always wear your safety harness in a working bird. No one with all her facilities would forget that sort of thing especially when she was holding a baby.

"Fuck you," she spat back. _He was so mean_. She'd only been curious as to how many books he'd had to read to learn all the things he obviously knew.

_What the hell?_ He'd only asked her to put her harness on. When all she appeared to be doing was scowling at him he slammed the bird into autopilot. Impatiently grabbing her harness he tried to bundle her into it as best he could without actually touching her.

"Get off me you bastard," she shouted in panic, slapping furiously at his hands as she tried to manoeuvre herself and baby out from the straps he'd tangled her up in.

His sudden flare of rage took him by surprise._ The baby had to be safe_. "Listen you stupid female," he ground out, trying to retain his hold on the harness when she elbowed him hard in the stomach.

"**Tav**!"

Alec's hard authoritative bark penetrated his anger, stilling his hands and bringing him to his senses. Quickly he let go of her harness and sat back in his seat. _What the fuck was he doing wrestling with this infuriating bitch._

Julia her sore shoulder now a raging agony quickly untangled herself and Baby and got hastily out of her seat. Only to find the other one, Alec, now blocking her exit. Clutching Baby she tried to calm herself down so they wouldn't get the scent of her distress and know she was afraid.

Alec had only got up to give her his seat intending to take hers beside Tav. Now not only could he smell her fear but also all his senses were telling him how agitated and frightened her females were becoming behind him.

He'd never had transgenic females afraid of him and before and he didn't like it.

"We're here to help you. You're free now. We aren't going to hurt you or make any of you do anything you don't want. Tav wanted you to put the harness on because its standard safety procedure in a bird. Just like the thing we had around your waist when you were sitting in the back with the rest of your females. But instead of explaining why he wanted you to wear it he behaved like a complete dick head. I'm sorry."

"He doesn't touch me." She might still have a lot to learn about things in the outside ordinary world but her instincts had never let her down. She knew by how wrong his touching her had felt that he shouldn't have done it without her consent. She may not have met any other transgenic males yet but she knew she was right.

"No he doesn't. If he does that again he'll answer to me. His scent is on you because of the baby, but you're not his pack. It's confusing for us," he shrugged, not really expecting that she'd understand given what he'd seen of her childlike naivety.

"Yes it is confusing. I feel it to," she answered truthfully her fear starting to fade. This one maybe wasn't so bad. At least he knew how to behave unlike that mean bastard Tav. He was also a strong alpha so if he said that Tav would answer to him if he treated her with disrespect again she instinctively believed him.

"I have other women back at Quintella who will also carry the scent of packs they do not belong to. Are all your males going to behave like him? She challenged, gesturing disdainfully in Tav's direction.

Hastily revising his opinion of her Alec shook his head emphatically. "I'll do my best to ensure my males behave themselves, while we sort out… this confusion," he hesitated over the last words faltering under her keen regard. All his senses were screaming that what had just happened here was only the beginning of the problems they'd face once they got back to that facility.

"I'd like to tell you it won't happen again but I can't guarantee that. My males like Tav are going to think the babies who carry their scents belong to them, just like your females do. That is the way of it," he added, not really expecting that if she'd been raised outside of Manticore she'd understand what he meant when he used that phase, but there was no better way he knew to describe what their instincts dictated as their reality.

Julia stared back at him with dread in her heart. Her head had been so full of worry about Baby she hadn't been thinking. Of course his males would feel like that. Involuntarily her arms tightened on Baby the hair on the back of her neck standing to attention as she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder at Baby's 'genetic contributor.'

"That is the way of it," she agreed finally, there being nothing else she could do but agree. She held Alec's gaze for a long moment before she sat down in the seat he'd vacated beside Anderson.

Moving as far away from the ordinary as was possible Julia leaned forward to see how his harness worked. Anderson watched as she awkwardly and painfully manoeuvred to get it on while trying to hold the baby at the same time. Stifling his own urge to help her his eyes went to Alec who already had his hands around the baby. Waiting until she'd nodded her consent Alec lifted Baby away while she fastened the harness.

"Thank you, she said taking Baby back and settling as comfortably back in her seat as her aching body would allow. She hadn't slept for two days and all she wanted was to be somewhere safe and warm with Baby. Somewhere she didn't have to worry about anything but letting her body repair. She didn't want to be sat here with these strangers. She closed her tired eyes her heart sick with worry. _Being free wasn't supposed to feel like this._

Turning away once she'd settled herself in her seat Alec threw himself into the chair beside Tav. Scowling his displeasure he fixed his gaze on Tav's profile.

Tav tried to ignore him. He was sorry he'd upset her, he hadn't meant to, but his feelings were just so fucked up at the moment and everything she did and said just rubbed him the wrong way. It was all right for Alec to sit there frowning. When his baby arrived it would belong to him, just like Max did, and it would be born safe and protected within their pack.

His situation was totally different. He'd had nothing whatsoever to do with that baby's conception and its mother, who he didn't even know, considered him nothing more than a fucking 'genetic contributor.' Not only that she was slow witted. What sort of care could she provide for a child?

He shifted uncomfortably. Alec hardly ever got pissed of with him but he was making no attempt to hide the fact he was now. _Lets__ see how he feels if he finds he's got a baby down there, to a female he doesn't even want to fuck, let alone protect._ As soon as the thought hit his head he was sorry. The last thing he wanted was for Alec or any of the males in his pack to be feeling this mix of powerlessness, rage, worry and panic he'd been feeling since he'd first scented that baby.

He knew that his behaviour with Julia wasn't helping things and that he owed her an apology. He should never have put his hands on her like that, but how the hell did he know she didn't know what a harness was for. If she was that slow that she couldn't even remember basic survival skills how the hell had she survived Manticore.

One of the reasons Alec was such a good alpha was that even though he didn't hesitate to let you know when you'd fucked up, he never condemned you for it, or told you what to do about it. Turning sideways he meet Alec's steady regard.

"Yeah, I know. I'll fix it once we land," he sighed in resignation.

Sitting there worrying Julia's heart was now so heavy with fear that it felt tight and wrong in her chest. How many more ' dead genetic contributors' were alive and waiting back at Quintella? She'd counted six of these birds. If they had as many in each of them as this one did then that meant over a hundred males who would not only be claiming back the names her females had taken and used in error, but who might also be trying to take their babies as well. _How will I protect them all? How will I even protect Baby? I haven't learned enough yet._

Despairingly she fought to hold her shoulders still and stem the stream of tears now poring down her cheeks. At least sitting up front here her females couldn't see her crying like this. Crying was so useless it never made anything right, it never brought anyone back the guards had killed, or healed anyone they'd forced to trade with them. No matter that it was useless she just couldn't seem to stop her tears. Her shoulders shaking, hugging Baby she stared in despair at the back of the seat in front of her. _I really am as stupid as these males think I am._

Her females deserved a much better alpha than she'd ever be. If she'd just traded with Groper all those times he'd wanted to she could have had lots more books. Then maybe she would have learnt what she needed to know to protect her females, instead of having nothing for them but this huge lump of fear and her useless tears. _I just can't let them down._

Tav's guilty eyes met Alec's when he got the scent of her fear and her tears. When he turned his head slightly he could see between the seats to where she sat behind Alec, hunched over the baby as she tried to disguise the fact she was crying. Ashamed now as well as guilty the familiar anxiety that he'd been feeling since he'd discovered that baby existed was now overwhelming. Not knowing what the hell he should do he gestured agitatedly for Alec to do something.

Alec scowled at him. This wasn't just ordinary crying, he could literally feel her despair and he knew that whatever had caused it was directly down to them. Down to Tav he thought grimly_. Sometimes he can be such a little prick and then just expect me to fix it for him. How the hell am I supposed to do that? She needs her own pack not me._

Not knowing what to do Anderson stared at her shaking shoulders. He didn't really understand what had triggered this. She'd seemed fine a minute ago when she'd been talking to Alec. He knew that touching her was out of the question and realistically he didn't think that anything he had to say would mean anything to her, but he had to do something. This level of distress just couldn't be ignored.

Relieved when his eyes met Alec's through the gap in the seats and he realized he knew what was going on Anderson jerked his head in Julia's direction gesturing that Alec needed to do something. He glared his narrow eyed displeasure when a scowling Alec shook his head emphatically, got hastily out of his seat and disappeared into the belly of the bird.

Impassively Alec met Tav's quick strained grin of relief when he came back with Ana in tow.

Julia scented Ana before she squeezed herself into the seat beside her. Just having her body pressed in familiar comfort against hers was instantly calming.

Ana had been really surprised when Alec had told her Julia was crying. She knew she was worried about Baby but it still seemed odd that she should pick now that they had actually escaped and were really free to break down. In the fourteen months she'd known Julia she'd hardly ever seen her cry, despite a level of hardship and abuse in Quintella that surpassed even Manticore. And she'd certainly never seen her displaying this level of despair.

Ana had known when she'd first heard Tanner's voice through his bird's loud speakers that whatever her unit's situation it had to be better than hers or else they wouldn't have come for her. She knew that no matter what their orders they would have found a way around them if it had meant taking her back to a worse situation. When Todd had filled her in on everything that had happened to them all since they'd escaped from Manticore it had almost been to incredible to believe.

"We're free Julia, just like we planned. Our babies will all be okay and we'll be able to look after them properly from now on. They'll be safe. "We really are free," she repeated feeling her own tears of relief and unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

"No more Groper. No more guards. No more Labs. We're going to be able to live with no ordinary interference just like we dreamed. My entire unit is alive and living in Seattle and they're taking us back with them to a place called TC. Its right in the middle of an ordinary city but only transgenics live there and we're going to live there with them. We really have been liberated," she reiterated, as much for her own benefit as Julia's. _The more I say it the more real it seems._

"We'll be able to go wherever we like. Do whatever we liked. We'll be able to get as many books as your females can read," she rushed on excitedly.

"All the books we can read," Julia repeated her eyes huge. _There can't be that many books in the world._

"Yes. Even as fast as you read them. All the books you can read!" Ana repeated jubilantly.

"We'll be living in the ordinary world and able to do whatever we like?" Julia clarified her fear momentarily forgotten in the wonder of it all. "But what about him?" she whispered, reality asserting itself when her eye caught Anderson quietly watching them. "Why are these ordinaries here if we're free?"

"The two younger ones are Howl and Danny and we served with them in Tranzistran. Remember I told you about that. And the Officer is Danny's father. I don't know him but Todd said he's helping us. Ana turned her solemn regard on Anderson. "All ordinaries aren't bad," she whispered, repeating what Todd had said when she'd voiced the same unease about Anderson that Julia just had. "Besides he's Danny's father and Danny's a lot like a transgen male anyway," she shrugged dismissing Anderson and turning back to Julia.

High praise indeed Anderson thought with amusement. He'd always known that he would like Ana. He'd spent a week in an African field hospital while he'd waited for Danny to get well enough to travel, just listening to his delirious retelling of the stories she'd told him, while she was trying to give him something to focus on other than dying. Just hearing those stories had given Anderson the feeling that he knew her.

Listening to her joy and excitement at the thought of being free. Something that he and everybody else in this country took for granted as their right was humbling. The fact that she'd regarded being able to look after her baby in safety with the same wonder, as if it were a privilege was incredibly sobering. He'd joined the army to protect his county and its citizens right to these very things. Yet the very organization he'd joined, that was supposedly dedicated to protecting those freedoms had so far been the instrument of transgenic oppression and suffering. _Well no more._

Julia's gaze gravitated to Tav whose shoulder and profile she could see through the gap in the seats. "They're going to want our babies aren't they Ana?" she whispered her intense gaze on Ana's still happily smiling face.

Her elation fading Ana's eyes went straight to hers. For all Julia's naivety about the things in the ordinary world that she'd yet to learn, she had the alpha's true instinct for threat

"Yeah," Ana croaked, through the lump of apprehension suddenly back in her throat. She'd been sitting beside Todd for the last twenty minutes trying to get up the courage to tell him about her baby. The child who'd been made without either his knowledge or his consent from a sample stolen from him. Todd's instincts would lay claim to her baby just like all the rest of the 'genetic contributors' instincts would lay claim to the babies that carried their scents. _That is the way of it._

At least she and Todd belonged to the same pack so the immediate issue he would have of needing to be there to protect his own scent wouldn't be so major, but for Tav and the others who's children wouldn't even be under their eye, let alone their protection she knew what a huge problem that would be for them given their instincts.

Impulsively she leaned forward and squeezed Tav's arm. Other than a brief hug before the bird took off she hadn't had a chance to talk to him yet.

The wide sweet grin he flashed over his shoulder reminded her just how much she'd missed him.

Watching them for some reason made Julia feel a bit easier. _Ana liked and trusted him so that must mean something._

"Nobody is taking our babies Ana. No one," she whispered fiercely when Ana turned back to her.

Ana didn't really know what to say to her. If only it were as simple as that.

"They won't try and take them off us Julia. Their instinct will be to protect the baby's not harm them. What I think will happen is that once they get over their shock." _And their anger._"Most of them will try and integrate our females into their packs. If our women don't want that then there will be problems." _The real nightmare will be for mated males and their mates._

"You'd be in my pack with me," Ana ventured carefully.

Julia met her gaze steadily "I will think on it," she said warily. She hadn't thought about this either. Ana's first pack was all still alive. If she wanted to be back with them that would mean she would no longer be a part of her females. Which meant that she and her women would have no one to help them learn about the ordinary world. In her dreams of freedom Ana had always been there to help them.

Despite their whispering Tav was close enough to hear what was being said. He'd been so off balance and not really thinking straight since he'd found out about that baby that he hadn't really thought about what happened next. Ana's suggestion that Julia join their pack had taken him by surprise, but really it was the most sensible solution. _It was the only solution._

He knew this anxious feeling of agitation he'd had since he'd found the baby was because he was worried. More than worried he grudgingly acknowledged, he was totally strung out and would be until the doctors had given that baby a clean bill of health. His need to have her where he could see she was okay was almost compulsive. Once again looking over his shoulder to see if she had woken up yet he swallowed his disappointment when he saw she hadn't.

Wincing as she tried to ease Baby's weight off her sore shoulder Julia shifted in her seat her eyes meeting Tav's when he raised them from where he was staring at Baby again.

It's not her fault he rationalised in an attempt to suppress his immediate irritation when she returned his strained attempt at a smile with a blank faced stare. _Who does she think she is anyway?_ She should be grateful he was prepared to take her into his pack and not sound so reluctant. _As if she had a choice?_ That baby belonged to him as much as it did to her and it had a right to be raised by the alpha pack. Not some obscure, junior unit who couldn't hope to protect it like he could. Turning quickly back he guided the bird upwards and over the crest of the hill until he could see the Facility once again laid out in front of them.

"Fuck," its burning Alec."

"Yeah, but it looks like only the one building and they seem to have it under control." As they flew closer they could see streams of water being played on the flames and a trickle of soldiers assisting people from the building. Like Tav Alec's eyes were now on their other five birds positioned neatly within the compounds perimeter fence.

Tearing his eyes off the scattering of body bags neatly lined up in front of each of the stationary birds Tav lined his bird up to land in the spot that had obviously been left for them. He exchanged glances with Alec. There were already four body bags in front of the space. As he bought the bird down Tav felt the cold finger of fear down his spine as he fought the almost overwhelming urge to once again turn and see if the baby was still alive.

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Alec waited for Tav to finish in the cockpit before he opened the doors that Steve had closed for the women's safety while they'd been in the air.

The scent of their fear was overwhelming now, much stronger than we'd they'd boarded the bird. Coming back here was obviously even more frightening than the strangeness of the bird had been.

They all now had slings made from pieces of fabric tied around their necks and waists securing their babies to their bodies leaving their hands free to defend themselves. Alec watched Ana relieve Todd of his sidearm while the rest of the women unconsciously ordered themselves into battle formation as per their alpha ranking. That Ana lined up behind Julia instead of with their males was interesting. Not just because of her unconscious allegiance to them but also because Ana had been Kat's second. Julia must rank as high as Kat he realized with surprise.

Julia nodded encouragement to her three women now holding the dead babies for return to their mothers. Squaring her shoulders she concentrated on clearing everything from her mind but the focus she would need to handle what awaited them. Her glance moved to Ana standing beside her and then appreciatively down to the gun that she'd seen her casually remove from her baby's genetic contributors belt. _Let's see what Groper and his bastards can do to us now we have that._

Shrugging into his Kevlar Tav came forward and Alec opened the doors. Julia tried to move forward under the assumption that as always she'd be in the front line defending her women. To her shock she found herself held back by the press of male bodies now in front of her.

On his way forward Tav paused and shoved his M16 at Julia. Still bewildered that she wasn't going to be anywhere but in the back line of this battle formation, for a moment Julia didn't realize he was offering it to her. Quickly collecting herself she took it.

Her hesitation before taking the gun gave Tav pause and his eyes met hers. When she worked the mechanism like she knew what she was doing, reassured, he moved quickly past her into the doorway of the bird.

_He's given me his gun._ Julia hefted its welcome weight in her hand. She'd always covetously watched the way the guards in the towers had handled these guns. Dreaming about how well she'd be able to protect her females if she could just get hold of one of them. These guns were so special that not even the guards had them. Only the real soldiers in the towers were ever issued them. Not knowing what to make of it, but already revising her opinion of Tav as one of the meanest male's she'd ever met, Julia waited in patience silence for him to move out of the birds doorway.

Their bodies blocking the doorway Mark, Tav and Rueben waited for Alec to give the all clear. They knew that Tanner was still finding pockets of resistance as the units searched through the Facility, so it paid to be vigilant. Moving out of the doorway so the women could disembark they followed Alec around the bird and into the compound.

Tav rounded the corner as Tanner crossed the compound. He exchanged uneasy glances with Steve when stopping abruptly Tanner automatically saluted not only Alec but also Anderson. They'd known he was strung out when he'd interrupted air traffic three times over the last hour demanding to know where the hell his support unit was when he'd already been told their ETA. For Tanner to salute Alec let along Anderson was a sobering indication of just how off balance he was.

Julia's glance touched briefly on the body bags before moving over the tall dark haired soldier now saluting Alec. _Where is Groper?_ _He's here I can smell his stink._

Her cold eyes quickly located him and his men. They were kneeling on the concrete with their knees spread apart and their fingers laced behind their heads. The scent of their fear was even more unpleasant than their usual stink. Her mind full of her last sight of Groper as he'd clubbed Susie. Not even noticing Tav and Steve now on either side of her, blank with rage she headed for him.

The fear in his eyes turned to terror when he saw them approaching. "I always looked after you girls. You know I got a special spot for you and Susie. I was just doing my job," he grovelled his terrified eyes moving between Tav and Todd's grim faces.

Without even breaking her stride Julia smashed her foot as hard as she could into his groin.

"I saw you trying to club Susie's baby you gutless bastard." she spat in disgust. Her rage calming she watched him writhe on the ground clutching his gentiles.

Mezo who'd been guarding them was still leaning casually on his gun. "We aren't really supposed to damage them too much until they been debriefed," he explained his apologetic eyes on Julia. "But you go ahead if it makes you feel better, honey," he added. Frowning when he remembered what he'd been told about this fucker he kicked Groper again himself.

"Just don't kill him. Shane will do that for ya anyway. He's got the reserve on that gutless fucker on account of we think it was this particular bastard who tried to kill his daughter and her mother."

"Susie's alive," Julia gasped knowing that since Shane was the name of the genetic contributor of Susie's twins it had to be her this male was talking about. "Her baby?" she asked fear in her heart. It was bad enough Susie's son was still unconscious from the drugs they'd given him it would be too cruel if her daughter was injured as well.

"She ain't so good but she did a good job of protecting the baby. It's fine," Mezo explained his interested eyes going beyond her to the group of her females across the compound now picking up guns from the pile of confiscated weapons. He watched Todd awkwardly take the baby Ana was handing him.

"Todd's in for a surprise," he commented. Watching Ana head across the compound to Reagan who'd just appeared with her baby. He nodded in the affirmative when Tav's glance met his.

_Fuck, not Todd too_.

"That your's," Mezo added jerking his head in Julia and the baby's direction. Tav didn't bother to confirm what Mezo's nose had already told him.

"I ain't got one," he added.

For a bizarre minute Tav thought he sounded almost regretful.

Julia frowned when she caught his scent. She couldn't remember his name because Kathy had a female baby but if he hadn't found the baby carrying his scent it meant that Kathy was missing. _How many more?_

"There's a female baby here who carries your scent. Her mother is Kathy. She was badly injured two days ago when they first tried to take our babies so she wasn't in the compound with us her bab…"

"What? Do you mean me? My scent?" Mezo interrupted curtly, looking around to locate anyone else she might be talking to.

"Yes you," Julia clarified. Find Kathy and you find the baby with your scent. Groper was still lying on the ground at her feet clutching his gentiles and doing his best to stifle his moans and not be noticed.

"He'll know where she is," she added nudging Groper contemptuously with her foot.

At first Mezo had been a little bit jealous when Shane had found the baby carrying his scent. _I must have been insane_. Trying to still his sudden panic he hauled Groper to his feet. _If this bastard has touched my kid I'll slice him up piece by piece and make him eat himself._

_There's absolutely no reason I can't make use of these males and their instincts to help my females._ Smiling coldly her eyes held Gropers before dropping to the urine now running over his shoe and forming a puddle beside his foot. _Now you know how Susie felt when you were trying to hurt her baby. You bastard._

Turning away she couldn't help her small smile of satisfaction when she heard Groper's howl of pain. She made her way back across the compound to the rest of her females. Julia grinned her approval when she saw they were now all carrying the special guns. Just like her they'd all avidly watched the guards with these guns and like her they all knew how they operated.

Ana hurried back with her baby. "My babies been drugged to," she moaned anxiously. "They must have done it before they decided they had to many babies."

Caught up in her worry she didn't even notice Todd when he stopped behind her. At the same time that Tav who was now staring at her in slack jawed shock closed his mouth with a snap Ana got the scent of testosterone. Squaring her shoulders she turned to face a furious Todd.

"So!" she snapped belligerently. Attack was often the best way form of defence with Todd. Even when he was in the right he would always back off because of his reluctance to fight with females.

"What the fuck do you mean? So!" he snapped back equally as belligerently. "You've had nearly an hour to tell me about him. What the hell do you think you're playing at?" _He could have died before I even knew he existed._

He wasn't reluctant this time she thought uncomfortable under his hard eyed glare. He never ever spoke to her or looked at her like this. He was usually always so easygoing and hard to rile. In fact he was generally so placid and predictable he was boring. _I haven't done anything wrong it's not my fault they picked his genetic material._

"Just because they used a little bit of your DNA doesn't mean anything."

"They haven't just used my a little bit of my DNA," he shot back angrily. That baby isn't cloned. He's a blend of my scent and yours. They used my fucking sperm. That baby is mine," he all but shouted.

"Fuck off Todd. He has absolutely nothing to do with you. " I had him on my own without any help from you. He came out of my body not yours. Do you know what it feels like to birth a baby? No you fucking don't," she yelled into his face. "He's mine," she insisted belligerently.

"He came out of my body too. "Where the fuck do you think they got the sperm to make him from? Shall I tell you just what they had to do to us to get those fucking samples?" Narrowed eyed and beside himself with fury he agitatedly shifted Shane's baby to his other shoulder.

"Yeah right," she sneered. "Like any of you would object to making those sort of deposits." As soon as it was out of her mouth she could have cut her tongue out. _Fuck no. Now look what he made me say. _

In the absolute silence that now surrounded her she caught Steve's blank expression before he turned wordlessly and walked away. Steve had resisted body sampling so hard that he'd nearly been killed on two occasions before Manticore had decided to only sample males when they were injured and unable to resist.

The last thing she wanted to do was upset Steve or anyone else. Shifting uncomfortably under the closed faced regard of the males now clustered around Todd. Her anger now mixed with shame she rounded furiously on him. _It's all his fault. How fucking dare he be like this? I didn't put his fucking sperm in me._

"I'm Cloud's mate and this baby is his and mine." Even before the sound of her voice had faded she knew how absurd that sounded and that made her all the angrier.

Beside himself with fury Todd glared at her. "Cloud is dead and even if he wasn't that would still be my scent on that baby. He has everything to do with me. Whether you like it or not I'm his father. **Not **Cloud. If you'd wanted one with him you should have picked him as the fucking sperm donor."

"Don't be fucking ridiculous Todd. Don't you think I would have, if they'd given me the choice? I would never ever have picked you," she yelled oblivious to the shocked silence.

"Yeah well you got me whether you wanted it or not. Believe me, given the choice I wouldn't have picked you either," he lied the pain in his heart throbbing. She sure as hell couldn't make it any plainer what she thinks of me.

"**I'm** his father **not** Cloud," he repeated not just for her benefit but because he needed to hear it again himself. I haven't done anything wrong here. It's not my fault that baby carries my scent. But he does and he belongs to me.

Tav had listened in shock. This was Todd who to his knowledge had never shouted at any female let alone Ana, and here he was so angry that he was not only shouting at her but he was excreting testosterone like he was going into battle.

Everything Todd had said struck a cord and crystallized what his subconscious and his instincts had been grappling with since he'd first scented his baby. He was her father. He had a daughter. It didn't matter how she'd been conceived. She was still his. He was as much a father as Alec was going to be when his son was born. And he was going to look after his daughter properly just like Alec will look after his son. He wasn't going to dismissed as just a 'genetic contributor.' That baby was his.

His edgy gaze moved from the baby to Julia. But how much of a chance did he have of being taken seriously if even Ana who'd gown up with Todd felt that not only didn't his child belong to him, but his feelings didn't seem to count for anything either.

What chance do I have with this odd female? No wonder she'd been so cagey when Ana had suggested she join his pack. His feeling of panic returning in full force he was glowering thunderously when Julia's bewildered eyes strayed to his.

Why is he angry with me? Her big round eyes moved hastily off Tav's angry face and back to and Ana and Todd. She didn't understand any of this. She hated shouting. It upset her nearly as much as it upset Baby. And what was that scary smell coming off that male. Even though she didn't recognise the odour her instincts recognised the threat.

None of what Ana was saying made any sense either. She had been so pleased when her baby had been born and she knew that he had this male Todd as his genetic contributor. She'd said that if he was still alive he would have made a really good protector for a child because he was always kind to females and babies. Now she'd not only changed her mind about him but it seemed like she didn't even like him anymore.

"Its lucky all the baby's are asleep. They hate yelling. When the guards yelled at us it always made them cry?" Julia inserted quietly into a pause in the hostilities.

What? Shifting instinctively closer to Julia whose hand Tav now noticed was curved protectively over the babies ears his narrowed eyes fixed censoriously on Todd.

"Yeah, that's right," Alec, agreed, coming up behind Julia. "When Max gets upset our baby reacts even though he's still in the womb. Once he's born his senses will be even more attuned to what we're feeling and doing. These babies will be waking up soon. You're all going to have to think about how you behave around them. If there's any more of this shit then you'll be answering to an alpha council. Both male and female," he added for good measure.

Alec had only just arrived back from sorting Tanner out and he hadn't heard all that had been said, but he knew Todd. For him to be shouting at Ana there would have had to have been extreme provocation.

"Any male who has any issue or grievance with any of these females about these babies, deals through me. That includes Ana, Todd. If any male shouts around them again he'll go straight into lockdown until I can ship him back to TC. I don't give a fuck who he is, or what pack he belongs too. Do I make myself clear?

When the rumble of assent had died down Alec turned to Tav. "Pass that message around to all the unit leaders Tav. You're taking over from Tanner for the next couple of hours. The alpha pack is to report to Steve in the northwest corner. The rest of you go about your business," he ordered the large crowd of males still clustered around Todd.

Julia had decided she definitely liked this male alpha. He not only knew how to control his males he was wise and kind.

"I need to see my females now?"

"Yeah, were going…"

"Alec I can't leave the baby, until I know she's all right?" Tav interjected in agitation.

"Yes you can Tav. You know she'll be safe with me. I won't let her out of my sight. Her mother has work to do and so do you. There's still a lot of the facility unexplored and there are still females trapped or in hiding. I've relieved Tanner of duty to give him a chance to sort himself out. He had a baby boy here. The baby and his mother were both shot in the compound. When Tanner found them the baby was still alive. It isn't now," Alec explained.

"Eli's also just given me a message from Regan. He's got something he wants Steve to see. Steve is the first propriety. Go with him before you do anything else. I'll be along as soon as Max and the rest of the support units arrive."

If Regan hadn't asked for Steve over the air but had sent Eli with a message then it must be because they didn't want Kat to hear. Fuck no! Not Steve too. It will kill Kat.

Alec's eyes reflected the same concern he was feeling. Tav nodded his agreement his eyes going straight to the baby's dark head.

Waiting impatiently for Alec Julia was surprised and a little disconcerted to find Tav suddenly standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry about grabbing you in the bird and upsetting you," he said, his voice low so only she could hear.

Holding her eyes he pulled Baby's blanket aside leant down and kissed her on her little head. Julia looked down on his bent head in shock. When he stepped back and met her eyes again she knew he'd just laid claim to Baby.

She stared back at him calmly. Ana had been right. These males were definitely different from ordinary males. How different remained to be seen but in the mean time she trusted that Alec would and could control them.

She met his gaze steadily before placing her own kiss next to his on Baby's head.

Unsure as to whether she'd just acknowledged his claim or thrown down the gauntlet Tav uneasily watched her departing back.

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

Hey people I know it's been a wait but I have been writing just not this chapter. Sorry about the wait.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

There were babies down there from alpha pack males. That must be why Tanner had sounded so unlike himself when he'd asked for them. _When he asked for me_. When she'd heard his voice break like that Tanya had known he was asking for her. Whatever had happened down there had disturbed him. She'd never know him emotional in battle. Ever. No matter what was happening when he was soldiering he was as so calm he functioned like he was automated.

_"Alec will you check that the baby carrying my scent is still okay." _

When Tav's agitated voice broke in Tanya's ear her eyes went immediately to Kat's. _Fuck no not Tav._

She could tell by the pain in Kat's eyes where her thoughts had gone. _Not Steve too._ Or Alec she thought her eyes going to Max's grey face before dropping to Max's hand that Kat was holding so tight it was going white. She remembered that grip from when Kat had finally regained consciousness after her baby had died.

She leaned forward and silently disengaged their hands, neither seemed to really notice.

_"Tanne here, Where the Fuck is my support unit Biggs, over." _

It was hard, loud, and demanding and it came over the top of, and with complete disregard for all the other radio traffic. Tanya knew immediately something was dreadfully wrong. Biggs had already told him their ETA. He knew.

She could tell by the look of compassion in Kat's eyes when they met hers what she was thinking.

Her feelings numb she leaned her head back against the skin of the bird and closed her eyes.

Tanner had a child that wasn't hers. No. It's not possible. Unthinkable_. He's my mate. Mine._

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As Kat's eyes played over Tanya's stricken face her mind took her back to another time when she'd worn that same expression. Tanya had been only fifteen at the time and she'd been sitting beside her bunk holding her hand while Alec had confirmed that yes, her baby had died. And had then gone on to tell her that in the aftermath Steve and Tav had also been injured so badly that both of them could be dead as well.

If it hadn't been for Tanya she probably would have given up then and just let herself die. It had only been Tanya's determination that she live combined with her insistence that Steve still needed her that had kept Kat going. Tanya had been there for her then and now Tanya needed her to be there for her. So did Max and so would all the females who's mates were going to have children down there at that facility.

So would Tav. He would need her to. What if this female who had his baby already had a mate? How the hell would possessive, alpha Tav deal with another male rasing his child? About as well as Steve or Alec or Todd, which was not at all, their instincts just wouldn't allow it. That was why the DNA of both sexes ensured that they become emotionally attached if they mated in heat. It was nature's protection for both male and female. Without the interference of fucking Manticore she couldn't see there ever being a situation where a child was conceived and its parents didn't mate.

She already knew her own life had changed forever. She knew there was a child. She could feel it. Deep down inside her instincts she could already feel Steve's turmoil. Not his grief. Thankfully not that, she never wanted to feel his sorrow for another child again.

She knew it must be a baby he'd found because down in her primal instincts where her own child still lived, where she'd always felt his existence she no longer had that sense of emptiness and despair always there in the past when she'd allowed herself to really feel his presence.

For some reason she now had a feeling of hope. It was only a small feeling and it was also mixed with fear but it was better than the empty loneliness that used to fill her heart whenever she'd let her instincts touch her child. Perhaps her baby had found some peace now Steve had found this other child.

Swallowing the giant fear that she could feel lodged like a lump in her chest she pushed her anxiety down. She wouldn't be so afraid if Steve and her hadn't grown so far apart over these last few months, but they had, and a child by another female was hardly going to bring them closer. Steve would want to protect not only his child but the mother as well. That was Steve. He was one of the most possessively, protective males in their pack. He was always there if you needed him and he would be for whoever was the mother of this child he had found.

She'd caused so much pain when she'd killed her baby. Not just for Steve but For all her pack who she knew would rather have died running than have had her do what she did.

Now she was being offered a chance to make some amends to Steve for the pain she'd caused him.

Any child of Steve's was a gift. It didn't matter who its mother was it would still be Steve's and no matter what she was feeling herself she was going to help him this time, not hurt him. As long as he found no grief at that Facility then she'd deal with whatever was there.

Max had started to sob beside her. One of the many good things about pregnancy, the hormones bought all your emotion quickly to the surface it was impossible to bottle anything up.

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Max didn't really know why she was crying. She hadn't meant to she wasn't really sad. There was nothing to be sad about. At first she'd thought there was. When Ana's disembodied voice had calmly announced that there were other alpha pack babies beside hers at that Facility. Just the thought of anybody else having as large a piece of Alec's as his child had sent a shaft of pain through her so sharp that for a moment she'd had difficulty breathing.

That little voice in her head that had been telling her all these months that the life she'd found with him was too good to be true had boomed loudly filling her with its messages of doom, fear and panic about how nothing as wonderful as they had together could possibly last.

Then her baby sensing her tension had kicked her and she'd come to her senses. Alec loved her and he loved their son. No matter how many stupid little voices she heard in her head that wouldn't change. Whatever he found down there he would have her full support. The only person who could change his love for her was herself and she wasn't going to be doing that.

She knew no one would ever come between him and his son and if he had another child down there then it would be the same. He would let nothing prevent him from doing the right thing by that child either. That was why she loved him.

If another female down there also had his baby then she would deal with it. Alec would still be hers. If she had to share him with another child beside her own then she would. Just like she already shared him with Tav and the rest of his pack. If anything the fact that he had so many other people whom he loved and who loved him made him the transgenic she loved.

If there was child of his down there she only hoped it wasn't one of the baby's they had bought Cass and her team with them to help.

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"Tanner, ETA on my support unit Biggs, over."

"ETA twenty minutes Tanner,"

Alpha one, ETA 5 Tanner, over."

Copy that Alec, over."

When he asked for her for the second time in fifteen minutes Tanya knew something was more than wrong. So did Alec she could hear it in his voice when he gave Tanner his ETA again even though Tanner knew that as well.

She felt Kat sit down on one side of her and Max on the other. When Kat twinned her fingers with hers she clung on.

She knew he couldn't be wounded. She'd seen him close to death and still functioning and unflappable while in the field. So he wasn't injured she knew that and nor where any of his Unit. The only serious casualties had been in Tyler's Unit when his bird had been hit.

She'd been sitting there praying he hadn't found a child that was his down there. Now she was just praying for Tanner. The only time she could ever remember him unfocused and strung out like this was when Mario died. Mario who he'd protected like a father protects a child. In the relentless grind and cruelty of life in Manticore even strong alpha's like Tanner lost their pack members. None of those deaths had brought Tanner to his knees like Mario's had.

ETA on my Support unit Biggs, over."

ETA 5 Tanner, hang in their buddy, over."

When his voice came again the tears started to stream down her face. She no longer cared what the hell he'd found down there she just needed to get to him. She knew Alec had already relieved him of duty because Tav's was the voice she could now hear controlling the push through the Facility. Something he wouldn't be doing if Tanner were okay.

She felt Kat's squeeze her fingers and Tanya met her calm steady gaze. Kat hadn't been their alpha for most of her life for nothing. In a crisis, when you needed her, despite what was going on for her she was always there with what was needed. She had the true alpha's ability to ground you in her calmness and her strength and that always helped you find your own.

Calm and strong was the transgenic motto when they went into battle. That was what would get them through whatever awaited them at the Facility. That was what would get her and Tanner through whatever was happening for him down there.

" Dex, I have a male baby, approximately three months old, bleeding from his arm- "

"Bring it to the med unit, Reub, over." Dex interrupted impatiently.

He's trapped, we haven't manage to get him out yet. He's mine Dex. You get your ass down here now. We're in the collapsed section building 2, South West corner, over."

_Max had it as well._ Tanya watched as Max got up and made her cumbersome way across to a pale now sobbing Karen. That same ability as Kat had, to put your own shit aside and be there when other people needed you. _Tav and now Reub. Steve to maybe. They hadn't heard his voice on the air since the alpha unit had landed. How many more?_

We also have five severely injured females all still trapped, over."

Roger that Reub, be there as soon as Tav can get me through, over."

Tav we need cutting equipment down in the cells of building two, over."

Copy that Reub over,"

Drago one, we're on it Tav. ETA 5 Reub, over."

Dale tell Mezo we've found your kid and it mother, over,"

Copy that Reub he's on his way, over."

"Come yourself to Dale, over.""

"What? Fuck… Yeah I'm on my way Reub,"

_Dale too. Poor Leah._

"Reub I need Steve. Is he clear yet.?"

"Negative on that Tav. No progress, over."

"Copy that over."

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The bird had barely touched the ground before Tanya was out the door and moving across the tarmac toward Tanner. He was standing with his back to them staring so intently at the body bags in front of his bird that he didn't even appear to have noticed they had landed.

Stopping beside Max Kat's gaze followed hers. "The bodies must be females whose babies were connected to his unit." Max's troubled eyes flicked along with Kat's to the four body bags in front of their bird. They watched in silence as Tanner turned to Tanya when she tentatively touched his shoulder from behind.

Tanners expression reminded her of Steve's anguished face when she'd killed their baby. Choking down the lump of pain in her throat for Tanner and his child, she knew must be dead she groped for Max's hand.

"Steve's found a baby of his. I can feel it. I just want it to be safe. That's all."

Max met her eyes in understanding her thoughts echoing Kat's as her gaze went back to Tanner now wrapped around Tanya his face buried in her neck while she stroked his hair like she was consoling a child. _If Alec's got one here let it be safe as well._

Instinctively she turned just as Alec came out of the building she knew to be the hospital. Despite what she'd decided in her head she still felt her heart hitch when she saw the small bundle he had perched on his shoulder.

His wide welcoming smile just seemed so incongruous. Her world had just been knocked off its axis and here he was grinning like an idiot. He moved the baby off his shoulder, and held it out for Max to see.

She gazed in bewilderment at the sleeping child. All her senses seemed to have stopped working she couldn't even scent if it was a girl or a boy.

"She doesn't have a name yet. But I guess it won't take Tav long to sort that one out."

_What the hell has it to do with Tav?_ Numbly Max stared at Alec's grinning face. Why was he grinning? He must know how she was feeling.

Kat moved closer to gaze enviously at the baby. _Tav mightn't be thrilled about his sudden fatherhood but he'd come around and realize just how lucky he was. How could he not she was just perfect_. "She's gorgeous Alec," she cooed taking the baby from Alec who was now smiling uncertainly at Max.

"She even looks like Tav," Kat laughed, titling her so Max could see the little face partially covered by the blanket she was wrapped in.

"Yeah, she does look more like Tav than Alec," Max said gazing at the baby.

"Babies are often dark when they're born though, so it doesn't really mean anything" she assured Alec. Not even knowing why she was bothering to worry about his feelings when he didn't seem to give a stuff about hers.

"Are you okay Max," Alec enquired his solicitous arm going around her shoulders.

"Yes, I'm fine," she snapped sharply, shrugging him off. _Insensitive clod._

She even smells like Tav Max thought when her senses started functioning again. She could smell Alec on the baby but Tav's scent was stronger.

Sheepishly she put her hand in Alec's. _It was Tav's baby not Alec's._

Now thoroughly used to her erratic moods Alec flashed her a quick grin.

Max returned his grin her wide beatific smile reflecting her relief. _He hasn't found one here_.

Her anxiety allayed and now thoroughly intrigued Max moved closer to Kat so she could have a proper look at the baby. Her attention still on the child Max didn't sense the female heading towards them until she was half way across the compound. Then a sixth sense, accompanied by a frisson of tense, alert wariness turned her in her direction.

When the female stopped beside Alec all Max's senses were on hyper alert and she had this weird feeling she couldn't really explain. She knew from her scent that this female was the mother of Tav's baby. When she felt Kat moving beside her. Without even taking her eyes of the female Max's instincts immediately knew what Kat was doing when she turned side on. _She's more alpha than Kat and Kat has just signalled her acceptance of that._ Max held her ground but she could feel a cold finger of tense wariness run along her spine.

Julia stopped shyly beside Alec and Baby. These females were from Ana's pack she'd heard so much about how brave and smart they were that she was really nervous about meeting them. _What if they thought she was ignorant like the guards?_

Max gazed at Julia curiously. Alec had said she would know if she ever met a female who was alpha to her. This female couldn't be more alpha than her or she would know. Just as she'd known when Tav had shown her his rank. But this weird alert wariness she was feeling must mean something. _I think we must have the same alpha ranking. _

The very pregnant female in front of her hadn't acknowledged her as alpha. That had never happened to Julia before she'd never met a female she wasn't alpha to until now. Like they always did Julia's instincts told her what to do. Inclining her body slightly but still facing Max she acknowledged her with respect.

Max instinctively acknowledged Julia in the same manner. Just like Alec had said now that she'd started to use them her instincts were definitely reawakening. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction at the same time aware that less than a year ago she'd would have been grossly uncomfortable just thinking about her instincts let along acting on them.

She glanced at Alec whose face was now a picture of shock and surprise. He hadn't found a baby of his here and her instincts were working just like they were supposed to be. That was all she cared about she couldn't care less if this female had the same alpha status as her?

She smiled her welcome. "Hey I'm Max and this is Kat my second. What immediate help do you need for your females?" she asked her attention on Cass and her team now following one of their medics towards the hospital.

"I'm Julia. My second has been injured. A lot of my females are still missing and I need to go and find them." With Susie still unconscious and Ana already occupied liasing between their injured females and the Manticore medics she'd been reluctant to leave her other females. She needed someone to help Ana while she went looking in the places she knew her females would be.

"We'll look after what's happening in there," Max said gesturing to the hospital building. When you find your females just send them back to us."

Julia met her steady gaze. Her already knew she was a strong alpha and her instincts recognized she could be trusted. Her second too she decided after subjecting Kat to the same intense scrutiny. "Thankyou." Her eyes dropped to Baby still being held by Kat.

"You can leave her with us it will be safer than taking her with you."

Undecided Julia hesitated.

"We're all Tav's pack. She'll be safe with us." Kat assured her.

Julia's eyes moved past her to the other females standing behind Kat. They had baby's genetic contributors scent on them therefore they had babies. She decided to trust them with Baby. _It's only for a short time and my own females will be there anyway._

Five hours later Julia wearily followed Alec and the last of her rescued females towards the hospital. Ana had certainly been right when she'd said transgenic males were not like ordinary males. These males like her females knew how to protect their own kind. They had been absolutely effective protecting her females and their babies from the soldiers they'd encountered as they'd searched the facility.

Every male who'd found a baby carrying his scent had tried to help. They hadn't been much use when it came to actually looking after babies, but it had been extremely comforting just having them there to fight the guards and keep the babies safe. Transgenic males were definitely much better soldiers than ordinaries she thought with satisfaction.

She'd seen incidences of kindness today that she'd never expected to see from males. They had all been as concerned as she was to protect her females and their babies especially the males with babies carrying their scents. Today these males strong territorial instinct had definitely worked to her female's advantage. She could only hope there obvious and immediate attachment to the babies carrying their scents wouldn't prove to be a problem for her females.

She didn't think it would be. In her experience if you just listened to what your instincts told you then things between transgenics usually sorted themselves out. It was only when ordinaries interfered that things got fucked up. After spending the last five hours with Alec while they looked for her females she had even more confidence in him. His instincts were strong and like her he listened to them. If all his males were the same then their instincts would sort everything out just like they did for her females.

Maybe Baby's genetic contributor wasn't really a bastard and he would be like Alec once she got to know him. Alec had told her he was Baby's Uncle so maybe his brother would turn out to be okay as well. She already knew he was very alpha and the more alpha a transgen was the stronger there instincts, so maybe Tav would turn out to be kind like Alec.

Even though she hadn't seen him she'd know from listening to Alec on his radio that it was Tav and his soldiers who'd been digging her trapped females out of the burnt out ruins of the Disciplinary Block. She'd have to think of a way to repay him for that. To repay all these males she thought as she walked with Alec back to the hospital.

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The arid stink of smoke was so strong in her nose that Kat couldn't smell anything else. Having her strongest most reliable sense disabled was disorientating enough without the thick smoke that clogging the air making it difficult to see and breathe as well. It was no wonder Reagan had been reluctant to let her through.

She may not be able to smell or see them but she knew that except for Alec all the males from her pack were in here now, even Tav appeared to have temporarily handed his command over to Reagan.

The good thing was that if her senses weren't working in here then neither were theirs. While she had been quite happy to take Reagan on when he'd tried to keep her out, she certainly wasn't going to be brawling with the males in her own pack.

She could hear the metallic clang of metal hitting metal and knew they must still be banging in the supports she'd been crawling past.

"We should have it shored up enough in about five minutes. This is the last support. Then we'll be ready to go."

She started to crawl towards the voice she recognised as Tav's. Wherever he was Steve wouldn't be far away. At least down on her belly like this the smoke wasn't so thick and she could see a little in front of her enabling her to see the two large boots now directly in her field of vision. She couldn't tell who it was because he was only visible from the waist down the rest of his body was through a small gap in the wall."

"Go back now." he ordered curtly when she touched his leg. "It's to dangerous in here. We don't need any help?"

She recognised Mark's voice. He obviously didn't know who she was because like hers his nose would be numb from the smoke and unable to pick up scent Ignoring him she continued to move along his body so she could squeeze her upper torso through the gap along side his. She knew when he realized she was female and not just one of the guys from the fire crews come to help.

"What the fuck…"

When he moved sideways the gap beside him got bigger and Kat pushed her shoulders through.

"Kat. You shouldn't be here. Go back. We'll be out in about five minutes," he said grabbing the back of her flak jacket as she crawled past him.

"Please Kat go back. There's fuck all room to work once you get further up. If the shoring doesn't hold and the roof goes then we'll need the strongest backs we've got to hold it up. That isn't you you'll just be taking up space and using oxygen."

"There are two floors on top of this one Mark. If the roof caves then you're all dead. It won't matter whose back is stronger. I'm going forward," she said wrenching out of his grasp, knowing he wouldn't leave his position.

Pulling her body through the next narrow gap she found herself in a larger area and now face to face with Tav. The roof of the area they were in had dropped until there was just over a metre of space between it and the floor. Just enough for the males in her pack to be squatting like Tav was with their shoulders braced against the roof.

She glanced in horror at the scattering of metal supports they had managed to erect and then at the pile they still had to go. They weren't ready for anything. _Fuck Mark hadn't been kidding. They were going to use their backs._

"Are you insane Tav? There are two fucking floors on top of this one?"

Tav quickly dismissing the immediate flare of anxiety her appearance produced reassessed this new development as he motioned her forward. _She was small and they could maybe use that. _

"We don't have time to finish shoring it up. Reagan's just told me that the noise we heard a couple of minutes ago was the supports in the West corner collapsing. Steve is in the back there behind all that." He gestured toward a wall of rubble screening the corner from her view.

"There's a child trapped in a cell at the back. Steve won't leave without it and we aren't leaving without Steve." The look in Tav's eyes confirmed what she already knew in her heart. Steve had found a baby with his scent. _Although how anyone could scent anything down here down here is beyond me._

The groaning sound she'd been intermittently hearing since she'd crawled in here came again. Much louder and this time and accompanied by the rending sound of tearing metal. Tav stopped talking his eyes following his hands now instinctively back bracing the roof as if he really could physically hold it up. Kat's eyes quickly followed his around the room as he checked to see that the supports were all still holding.

Her heart in her mouth she watched as Reub and Nathan quickly kicked the one that had listed to the side as upright as they could, given the weight now pressing down on it. Her eyes went back to Tav's.

"We've got as many supports in as we've had time for. They won't hold off the inevitable for much longer. We were only waiting for Reub to anchor that last one. Now we're going to break that down in the hope that we can get into the cell the kids in. He gestured at the wall their males were lining up along, the remaining metal supports now held like battering rams. He shrugged and Kat immediately knew he wasn't very hopeful.

"If we can make a gap big enough and get into the cell we can maybe pull him through," he added. "You'll be better off down the back with Steve until we need you."

"And Kat," he added as she turned to head for Steve. "Once we push this wall down we'll have a fucking short time to get fifteen bodies along the tunnel we're hoping the supports and our backs are going to hold open for us. Steve's at the back and he'll be the last out. Because you can't hold anything up you'll have to be the first Kat. None of the guys will go until you're on your way."

Kat met his eyes in understanding. If it all turned to custard she either left Steve to it or they'd all die down here.

They had already started to slam the supports into the crumbling wall as she ran as fast as her crouched position allowed toward the back. The first thing she saw when she climbed over the pile of rubble and steel was Steve lying on his stomach his arm extended over a gap in the floor. He was covered in dirt, and soot and there was a long gash in his bicep that was oozing blood. Why the hell has he taken his protective gear off was her first thought when she saw the deep bloody gash on his arm?

Then she saw the skinny little arm and the small hand resting in his open palm its fingers clasped around his thumb. It's not a baby. It's a child. A very frightened child she realized as the noise from the roof above them as it started to crumble filled her ears and the little arm jerk backwards. He's trying to calm it down by giving it his scent. That's why he's taken his protective gear off she realized as Steve's fingers closed around the little hand just before it disappeared back inside the narrow gap Steve also had his face pressed against. _It's not working though._ Deep in her instincts where she'd always felt her own baby she could also feel this child's confusion and fear.

"Its all right. I'm not going to hurt you. My scent is your scent. Smell your arm again like you did before. That's right. That's good, don't struggle. I'll have you out of there soon. I promise. It's all right," he soothed, but Kat could hear the strain underlying the calm he was trying to project for the child.

"It hasn't worked Steve we're through the wall but we still can't see it." Tav yelled.

"The gap between the floor and the wall is bigger. See if you can bring some pressure to bear on the floor in there. It might force it to open wider and give me enough clearance to pull it clear."

He was too focused on the child to know she was there and his sense of smell would be as useless as hers was down here. Kat looked at the six-inch gap in the wall her heart constricting. He was never going to be able to pull a child through there.

"We can't get him out Tav. Get out now. All of you," she yelled her eyes locking with Steve's when his head whipped around to her.

"What the fuck…"

"He lied to you Steve. They only had time to get the roof partially shored up. If they leave now they might make it out of here alive. If it starts to cave they're fucked."

"Get out now Tav. That's an order," Steve roared his eyes locked with hers.

Kat shook her head in rejection of his unspoken appeal for her to leave with them. She crawled under the arm he lifted for her and buried her face against his neck. She wasn't going anywhere. Things may have been stained between them for the last few months, but she still knew without a doubt that there would no point to her life if Steve, who she loved more than anyone else was no longer there to share it with her.

"Get out you pricks," he roared again, as they started to slam the metal pylons against the floor. His hand curved protectively over her head when the everything began to shake.

Kat's eyes flew to the gap as it yawned open just enough... blurring as fast as she'd ever moved she thrust herself out from under Steve's arm and through the opening. She was moving so fast the only impression she had of the child was a shape as she jerked the little arm free from whatever it was clinging to. Her arms were around its waist as Steve whipped them both back through the fissure just before the wall dropped back down and all hell broke loose.

With the aid of Steve's hand on the back of her flack jacket she was on her feet and moving at a crouch towards the shored up passage she hoped was going to be there when they'd scrabbled their was across the pile of rubble in front of them. She had a vague awareness of the child clinging like a monkey. Its legs were wrapped around her waist and its arms around her neck as she ran at a crouch past the males now sharing the task of holding up the collapsing roof with the metal supports. She could hear the jarring noise of tearing metal and the crashing sound of falling concrete as everything disintegrated behind her.

Steve couldn't see them now. All he could see was Reuben in front of him as he brought up the rear of the line of males doing there best to hold up the roof as they alternated their positions working their way towards the narrow gap they had to get their asses through before this floor became one with the two above it.

Kat dropped and rolled onto her back when she got to the gap Marks upper torso had just disappeared through. Hands under her armpits Mark hauled her through. As she rolled quickly to her feet the child still clinging around her neck she heard the scrape of another body being dragged through the gap. Still crouched over because of the lack of head room she ran towards where she thought the door was.

All her senses were useless she couldn't see, she couldn't smell and the noise was so loud she couldn't hear anything. _If I can stand upright I've got to be headed in the right direction. _Her arms around the child now and running full pelt she slammed into a hard body. Alec she realized her face close enough to now see him. Her hand running along his arm then along Reagan's and then the chain of other arms forming a guide she ran towards the entrance.

Hugging the child still clinging to her, her eyes glued to the blown out doorway she counted every precious face as her pack ran clear. When Alec exited the building closely followed by Mark and Steve her heart was beating so hard she could feel its vibration under her hand still clutching the child's back. At the same time Steve's arms went around her enfolding the child between their bodies she realized it wasn't her hammering heart she could feel. It was the child's. It was terrified.

Youthere still couldn't smell anything and he was frightened, more frightened than he'd ever been before. Even scareder than when Matt yelled at him and hurt him. Even scareder than he got when they didn't bring him food for a long, long, long, long time until it was so long he thought they were never coming again.

The nice voice and the familiar, reassuring smell that had made him feel warm and good and not scared had gone. When this other guard had stolen him away from it the feeling in his stomach had been as bad as when Matt had taken that stupidfuckingteddy away because he'd been a viciouslittleanimal. He needed to get back to his cage. Not just in case Matt bought that stupidfuckingteddy back but also because his own scent was still back there and he wanted to be with it.

That thing under his skin that went thump, thump when he was really scared was loud now. When he felt someone behind him that his broken smell hadn't told him was there, he thought it was Matt. Instinctively he fought to free himself.

Kat felt the little body arch in her arms as the child tried to break free. She held on. When it relaxed its rigid body its teeth were bared and heading for her shoulder. Steve's hand enveloped its face from behind. Kat's gaze locked with the vivid blue eyes, wide and terrified as they stared at her from above Steve's hand. _Steve's eyes. She didn't need its scent she could already see Steve in its little face._

"I'm not going to hurt you. Remember we have the same scent," he said soothingly burying his face in the child's neck as he breathed its scent modelling what he wanted it to do. Kat watched the child obediently inhale into his hand. Her gaze went quickly back to Steve when she heard his startled intake of breathe.

Steve's head came up his eyes wide with surprise. "Smell him Kat," he ordered.

She bent obediently having to nuzzle the little neck before her abused nose could actually get any smell. Steve's scent was her first awareness. Then the fact it was a male child and not a female like the long matted hair had suggested. Her only other awareness was her own scent. It took her a moment to realize what that meant. Her own gasp of surprise echoed Steve's. This child was a combination of her scent and Steve's. _This was her child. Their child? What the hell? None of the other babies here had surrogate mothers. Why had this child?_

When the hand came around his nose Youthere could smell his own familiar scent again as well as that nice good smell. He started to not feel scared again and that funny nice feeling came back in his stomach. Pushing the guard away who'd stolen him he turned to see what his scent looked like. For a moment its bigness made him scared again. _Its even bigger than Matt. _

When he pushed away from Kat Steve grabbed hold of him only to find himself staring into a pair of wide inquisitive blue eyes he knew were probably a lot like his own.

"Hey." When the eyes widened in wonder when he spoke his grin deepened. Steve met their wide unblinking, scrutiny with the same intense concentration.

Youthere had that good feeling back again. Even though big guards were always bad, this one still made him feel good in his stomach.

"I'm Steve. I'm your father." He didn't really know how much a child as small as this understood but he felt the need to say something.

"You belong to me," he added when the child continued to gaze solemnly at him.

When he felt Kat put her arms around his waist he put the arm he wasn't holding the child with around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. The child broke the eye lock he had with Steve transferring the same intense scrutiny to Kat.

Kat had already pinched herself twice just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Things as good as this just didn't happen. She finally had her longed for baby except it wasn't a baby it was a toddler. She couldn't seem to get her head around it. She had so many confusing thoughts and emotions. It was almost as if she was being given a second chance to protect the baby she'd failed.

"He's the same age as our baby would have been," she said eagerly inspecting the child again.

"Is he?" Steve asked in surprise. He didn't seem very big for three years. Steve frowned for the first time seeing the long matted hair for what it was as he became aware of how bony and slight the skinny little body he was holding was. _Fucking neglect._

"The bastards haven't even looked after him physically."

Kat who'd already realized this reached up to push the tangled hair off the child's forehead. _Who locks a boy as young as this in a cell on his own._

"Animals," she hissed feeling the slow building anger she'd been feeling explode into rage when the child blocked her hand with his skinny little arm ducking his head out of the way as if she was going to hit him.

_Animal._ Youthere knew straight away it was talking about him. He blocked its hand watching its face so he would know when it was going to try and hurt him again.

"I want to debrief all guards from this building." Her hard eyes met Alec's as he stopped beside them.

"Yeah, okay Kat. Anderson, Danny and Howl have already made a start sifting through the records we've managed to salvage. We'll be looking them over tomorrow and debriefing of the facilities personnel will probably start the next day.

Alec's eyes went to the child now gazing fixedly at him from its secure perch its hand balled and twisted around a fistful of Steve's shirt. He caught his scent as his nose started to recover from the numbing effects of the smoke. _He's Kat's child as well._ His puzzled relief for Kat sent his frowning gaze to where she was avidly devouring the child with her eyes. _Why is he so much older than the other babies?_

"Max and me are bedding down in the admin building. There's a suite there they use for visitors. It's got two rooms. You and Kat can have the other room. He'll probably be better there until he gets used to having everyone around him."

"Yeah, Steve," agreed his attention on their males jogging away. "Where are they going?"

"To brief the reinforcements I've got coming from TC. Once they arrive all the units already here can bed down for the night."

They watched Tav, Todd and Reuben as they speedily detached themselves from the group and headed for the hospital building. Mezo and Drago and a crowd of other males sprinted after them.

"Alpha one, the facility is secure now so all the guys that have found babies here are relieved of duty as from now, over" he ordered belatedly.

Steve was gazing in amusement at Kat who wasstill leaning obliviously against him her rapt face riveted on the child now gazing in fascination at Alec. Their identical absorbed expressions making him smile.

Youthere's broken nose had started to work again. All these bigger guards smelt like him. Their smell wasn't exactly the same as his and Steve the fathers, but it was nearly. They also had that other nice smell that made him feel good, and not afraid.

All except for the one that had tried to hurt him. He knew its scent to. It was like his but it also had another smell. He hadn't smelt it before and he didn't like it. Leaning forward he bared his teeth to bite it. Only to find Steve the father's hand was between his teeth instead of its shoulder.

You there jerked back his body rigid with surprise and fright. He hadn't meant to hurt his own scent. He just wanted the one who didn't smell right to go away. Now Steve the father would hurt him because he was a viciouslittleanimal.

Kat's shocked eyes went from Steve's bleeding hand still covering her shoulder to the child's face now frozen with fright. _He doesn't like me. _Her eyes on the child not knowing what to do she rubbed her cheek against Steve's injured hand.

Steve felt a flash of tenderness when her vulnerable uncertain eyes met his. "He's frightened Kat. It's not about you. He's just needs time that's all."

"Yeah, just time," she repeated quietly biting her now quivering lip to keep it still.

Steve the father was holding him to tightly for him to get away. Youthere stared defiantly while he waited to be hurt. The really good feeling he'd had curling in his stomach was gone now.

"We don't hurt each other here? You don't try and bite Kat again. It makes her feel really bad. Look," his eyes on the child's Steve jerked his head in Kat's direction.

You there's eyes darted to Kat like Matt. _Matt is bad. _

Steve watched his little face frown in concentration as he studied Kat.

_Its eyes were watering like his had when Matt had pulled that sillyfuckingteddy's arms off because he had been a viciouslittleanimal. _

Grabbing his own hair Youthere started to pull it banging himself in the face with his other hand like all viciouslittleanimals deserved.

When Kat grabbed his hands to restrain him his startled eyes went straight to hers. Carefully unwrapping the fingers he had tangled in his hair she held his other hand still and did what she'd wanted to do before. Ignoring his instinctive cringe she brushed the tangle of hair clear of his forehead.

"I'm Kat and I'm you're mother. You stay with Steve and me now. We won't let anyone hurt you again. You don't hurt yourself either. That's just plain silly." Kat didn't really know how much a three year old understood because she couldn't remember back that far but even if he didn't understand it made her feel better. Watching him try to punish himself had been soul wrenching.

When Youthere opened his eyes her hand was gone from his head and he wasn't hurt.

Steve watched the child's face now alight with uncertainty as his small hand went to the same place on his forehead that Kat had touched. Reflectively his arms tightened around the little body the fierce protective rush of emotion he felt taking him by surprise.The child's eyes went straight to his.

_We don't hurt each other. _He hadn't been hurt so Steve the father must think he was a we. Did that mean he was no longer a viciousfuckinganimal? That new funny feeling in his stomach was starting to feel even better. _I want to be a we._

Kat looked at the dirty skinny little legs protruding from the oversized adults tee shirt that appeared to be the child's only garment. All she wanted to do was take him somewhere safe and quiet so she could feed him and clean him up. The gash on Steve's arm was also oozing blood at an alarming rate and she wanted to fix that as well.

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Still awake Julia watched Baby's genetic contributor and the rest of his unit as they filed quietly into the room. They were all carrying their boots and soldiers' equipment instead of wearing it and judging by the look of their wet hair they'd just showered.

Tav quickly located Julia where she lay next to Ana in their Units designated sleeping area. _It's a good sign she's in our area. Maybe it means she's accepting that the baby belongs to me as well as her._ Except for his guns he dropped his kit next to Todd's adding it to the pile of stuff already marking their sleeping territory. Along with the rest of the alpha unit males he stepped over the now solid wall of objects into their territory.

"Hey." Settling down beside her Tav tried to do the impossible and keep his distance while trying to lean closer and get a better look at the baby.

When his worried eyes finally moved off the baby and onto Julia she was staring at him in wide-eyed alarm.

_I definitely don't like him this close._

"Has she woken up yet?" he asked his anxious eyes on the IV bag full of liquid propped above their heads. Alec had already told him that all the babies who hadn't woken and been able to feed normally had them. It was nothing to worry about. Just a precaution to stop them dehydrating. She wasn't the only baby getting her fluids like this, he knew that, but somehow that wasn't very comforting.

"Where did they put the needle?" he asked unable to prevent his automatic wince at the thought of it in her little arm.

Julia's' eyes roamed his face surprised that he'd voiced the very same thing she'd been worrying about.

"Here," she said softly, moving Baby gently until he could see her little arm with her sleeve now cut away and the drip taped to her skin.

"That might hurt her when she wakes up,"

"Yeah," Julia agreed her eyes meeting his grateful that he hadn't tried to pretend it wouldn't hurt Baby like the ordinary nurse had.

"A lot of the babies have already woken up," she blurted worriedly. Her large frightened eyes going to his. It didn't matter if he knew how worried she was. He wasn't one of her females needing her to be strong. She didn't have to pretend around him.

"She will," Tav said with conviction. Its just a matter of time," he assured her moving closer so he could peer at the baby's face. "All we have to do is keep her warm and close to us and keep stimulating her to breathe by touching her," he said repeating what Cass had told him and Todd when they'd asked her what they could be doing to help the babies to wake up. "You're doing all the right things," he added, also remembering what Cass had said about how important it was to reassure and support the mothers as well as the babies.

Julia's uncertain eyes moved from his hand now absentmindedly pulling the blanket back up that had slipped off her shoulder and back to his face.

"Ana says I am good mother," she said smiling shyly and feeling really please that he though she was smart enough to be doing the right thing.

Tav flashed her a quick uncomfortable grin. _She's really is an odd one._ "She'll wake up when she's ready," he repeated needing to reassure himself as well as her. "We just have to wait it out and try not to worry."

"Yeah," she agreed looking down at Baby and already starting to feel better, not as scared. Although it felt really odd to have someone else worried about Baby for some reason it was also very comforting. When he wasn't being mean to her and was just lying here beside them, his scent that was so like babies was reassuring.

"How are your shoulder and your leg?" Tav asked moving discreetly closer to the baby.

"I am fine."

Her stilted answer had him pushing down his impatience. He knew she couldn't possibly be fine. Alec had told him what he'd seen when Dex had treated her injuries. As well as her leg wound and broken collarbone she had extensive bruising and contusions all over her body. She had to be hurting everywhere.

"I'll hold her for awhile if you like so you can get some sleep?"

"No." Suddenly registering just how much close he was she moved hastily backwards taking Baby with her.

"I know you don't want me this close. _And believe me I feel exactly the same. " _My scent is probably strange to you but it won't be to her. It's the same as hers and it will be comforting for her to have me here," he said moving close enough so he could see what was going on.

He didn't really know if it were true but it seemed sensible that if it was comforting for him to be close to the baby then having him close might be the same for her when she woke up.

"Anyway I'm staying. She's mine too," he added in the hope of forestalling any argument.

"Your scent isn't strange to me its like babies. I just don't like you this close." Again she tried to move back only to find herself hard up against one of her sleeping females.

"I'm not trying to be close to you," he snapped. "But I need to be neat her so I can feel if she's breathing okay."

"I'm doing that. I can look after her myself," Julia hissed. _So much for him thinking I'm smart._

"I know that but I still need to see for myself."

She jerked her hand quickly away when his hand brushed hers as it settled on Baby's little back.

"Go to sleep," he ordered. "You'll be absolutely no use to her when she wakes up if you've had no sleep."

"I will so. I know how to look after her. I don't need you telling me what to do." she snapped, carefully trying to find a place on Baby's back for her hand without touching his.

Her huffy petulant pout irritated the hell out of Tav.

"Yeah, well I'm still staying."

"Fuck off," she snapped moving the baby closer to her. His hand still on baby's little back moved with them.

"I don't like that smell one you either. You stink."

"I do not? I've just showered," he bit back indignantly.

He'd spent five freezing minutes standing in the bitter cold under the make shift outdoor shower hastily erected behind the bombed out accommodation block. He'd been especially careful to get all the stink of smoke off him because he didn't want to confuse the baby's nose with other smells when she finally woke up. The only smell on him now was soap and testosterone. He could hardly help that. They were still on full battle alert and until they were safely back in TC he knew the odour of testosterone wouldn't be going anywhere.

"This is the way I always smell. Go to sleep," he said closing his eyes wearily, refusing to let her annoy him any more."

"I hate your hair too." Julia said hoping that if she pissed him off enough he would go away. It was all very well trying to accommodate his instincts but what about hers? _He was to close._

"What the fuck is wrong with my hair," he demanded through gritted teeth his eyes snapping open to fix on hers." _She was so fucking irritating. I hate this fucking haircut. But she doesn't have to be so rude about it._

"Its all shaved and ugly. And stupid." _Good he was pissed him off now maybe he'd go away_.

"This is called an undercut and out in the real world where I come from it's very fashionable," he ground out.

"Humph, well its still ugly and it makes you look stupid."

"Yeah, well yours isn't so hot either," he snapped back childishly, eyeing her untidy tangle of hair.

Feeling suddenly self-consciously she resisted the urge to smooth her hair down her eyes darting away from his. She knew she was big and ugly. Groper and his bastards had told her often enough. She also remembered how bad it used to make her feel back when she actually cared what the guards thought. She didn't want to be responsible for making anyone else feel bad like that.

Besides he wasn't ugly anyway. She didn't really like that weird male smell he had but it wasn't all that bad, just different from her female scent. His eyes were exactly the same as Baby's and she was beautiful. Hopefully she'd inherit more of his physical attributes than hers.

She hadn't meant to be mean to him. She knew it was just his instincts that made him need to be close to Baby. However having him as close as he was made her uneasy. For some reason it reminded her of that time she'd had to trade with Groper to stop him killing Ana.

She knew he didn't want to trade with her. Ana had told them that it was went against transgenic males territorial instincts to hurt their own kind. She'd told them that when she'd reassured them that their instinct to resist trading with the guards had been absolutely right. Despite the fact that the guards had said it was expected of them and that they were just to young and dumb to understand that.

"I don't really think you're ugly," she whispered.

Absolutely secure in the fact he wasn't ugly and unable to understand what the hell was going on inside her weird head Tav stared back at her.

"Go to sleep." He closed his own eyes in the hope she'd get the hint.

Still feeling mean Julia's remorseful eyes roamed the angles and plains of his face lingering on the heavy sweep of dark lashes shielding his now closed eyes. I like his mouth. Its like babies too, maybe, but different.

"Do you have a mate?"

Someone as smart and as alpha as him was bound to have a mate. Ana had told them all about being mated. She knew that Susie and some of her other females had thought that when they were free they might like to try it. She hadn't wanted to though. Ana and Susie and the rest of her females were beautiful. She knew from some of the books they'd stolen from the guards that males liked females who were beautiful. So no male would be likely to choose her to mate with even if she wanted them to and she didn't.

"Of course I'm not." Tav's eyes snapped open. What the hell do you take me for?" he asked indignantly.

Not really understanding the meaning of his words but hearing the impatient, annoyance she was so used to hearing when she didn't understand something or she was getting things wrong Julia felt old familiar feeling of inadequacy. _I'm never going to be able to learn enough for anyone who wasn't born in the Labs to not be mean to me._

He hadn't really meant to snap at her but if as Alec said, she wasn't fucked in the head, then she should know he'd hardly be here without his mate if he had one. Not liking the look she'd had in her eyes before they'd dropped from his he suddenly didn't feel so good.

"Goodnight," she mumbled her lips against Baby's head as she closed her eyes and snuggled into her for comfort. It didn't matter that he didn't have enough respect for her to be nice. That was nothing new in her experience with males anyway.

It was a shame that he wasn't the really cool and nice person Ana had told her he was, but it wasn't Ana's fault. He didn't treat Ana meanly she'd seen that today. He loved Ana. They all loved Ana she thought wistfully remembering all the attention Little Todd had attracted even though he was still asleep. It didn't matter what he or anybody else thought of her anyway. She had Baby and she would learn all about the world at the same time Baby did. After all if stupid bastards like Groper lived in it how hard could it be?

She'd so wanted baby's genetic contributor to think well of her. He'd sounded so nice and kind when Ana had told them about him. But he was so disappointingly unkind. It had felt so good when he'd said she was doing everything right to make baby well again. But he hadn't really meant it. He'd only said it so she'd let him as close to baby as his instincts needed him to be.

For some reason the comfort she usually got from cuddling baby wasn't stopping the tears now sliding down her cheeks. Being free was so weird. When she'd dreamed about it she'd never thought it would feel sad and scary like this. Everything just felt so strange and she was so afraid that she wouldn't get things right.

In the first few months after her birth she'd really tried so hard to get things right. She'd done everything the guards had said just so they wouldn't yell and be mean to her. However the need to do that had died pretty quickly once she'd realized they were not only impossible to please them but they were such mean bastards she didn't even want too. Once Groper had introduced the idea of trading that was the end of her need to please. Like hell she was letting any of the bastards touch her or any of her females.

She was a good mother. She knew she was. It didn't matter what anyone else thought. Baby was going to have the best life she vowed squeezing her eyes tight to stop the flow of tears and moving her head so they weren't wetting baby's head.

He still hadn't moved away and being this close to his male scent was making her uneasy. For a brief minute she thought about turning right around and taking Baby with her. But that wouldn't be fair. His instinct to be near his own scent was as strong as hers. As long as she could she wouldn't interfere with that but she was free now and that meant she didn't have to be around people who were mean to her and she certainly didn't want unkind males around Baby.

_Fuck. Not fucking crying. What I hell did I say that was so bad anyway. Nothing. Fuck she's so touchy._

"I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry. I'm just tired that's all." Even he could hear the grudging impatience in his voice. _What is it about her that just irritates the fuck out of me?_

Julia raised her head and her thoughtful eyes caught his. This was the second time he'd said he was sorry to her. At least the last time he'd sounded like he meant it.

"Don't be sorry. Just don't be mean to me again."

Tav blinked in surprise. "I'm not mean. I…" he broke off when the blanket slipped off her shoulder again. This time revealing not only her taped collarbone but also the rainbow of colourful bruises and abrasions now visible where the neckline of the top she was wearing had dropped away.

"That must have happened before you went up the wire. The one you kicked in the nuts was he one of them?" he asked his calm voice belying his mounting rage as his gaze moved from her bruised shoulder to her eyes. _The gutless fucks. _Where the hell was the baby when they were doing that?

Quickly Julia went to pull the blanket up forgetting about her sore shoulder. Her quiet little mew of pain made Tav even angrier. Her eyes went back to his when he carefully pulled the blanket back up over her and Baby again.

"Yeah, Groper and his men when they first tried to take Baby two days ago."

_Two fucking days ago. _Tav stared wordlessly back at her imaging what could have happened if they had managed to successfully remove the baby two days ago. She could have been anywhere by now. He closed his eyes on the rush of panic just the thought of that caused.

"You and your females did really well resisting them for so long."

"The gutless fucks will pay for that," he added his expression hard as his eyes moved from her bandaged shoulder now hidden by the blanket to her eyes. _Shane can forget first fucking reserve. He'll have to share that bastard with me._

"I know how to protect Baby. I am good mother. You don't have to be here," she challenged her eyes steady on his.

He knew he should agree she was a good mother. It was the least he owed her for keeping the Baby safe in this hellhole for as long as she had. But if he agreed with her she might think he was saying she was a good enough mother to be able to continue protecting the baby on her own without him. When she wasn't. A baby was supposed to have two parents protecting it. That's what males had territorial instincts for. Even ordinary males had an instinct to protect their young. It was a pissant weak one, but even they had it.

"You won't have to from now on I'll be protecting her."

"No," Julia said in alarm. " I can do it. I am mother. I protect Baby."

"Yeah, I know you can," Tav added quickly his hand going to her arm when she tried to get up.

"I just meant I want to help you." Hastily he withdrew his hand when she slapped at it like she had in the plane.

"You aren't taking her off me," she hissed.

"I don't want to take her off you," he shot back genuinely shocked.

"You think I'm to stupid to look after Baby properly."

"No I don't. Well I don't now," he clarified uncomfortably when she glared disbelievingly at him. "I didn't think you were stupid exactly. Just weird," he lied. "But I don't now that Alec's told me your not…" he trailed off realizing he was making it worse

"I've already told you I'm just young and still learning," she said rolling her eyes in exasperated impatience. "You must be the stupid one if you don't understand that."

Tav pushed down his immediate flare of irritation and bit back his instinctive retort in the hope that if he just shut up she would lie back down again. She needed to get some sleep so she could look after the baby when she woke up.

His relief when she sank back down onto the mattress was so strong that it annoyed him. He had to protect the baby. He accepted that. She was small and defenceless and needed him but her irritating mother was another story. He wasn't getting sucked into worrying about her as well.

"No, I'm not stupid. But you're right I don't understand. Perhaps you'd like to explain?" Resisting the urge to roll his eyes heaven ward he waited expectantly. _Alec is so loosing it. If he thinks this female has all her marbles then in my other life I'm Spiderman._

"I was only born eighteen months ago. So I've not had much time to learn stuff. At first we all went to school and they gave us books to read and stuff," she sighed wistfully. "But when Manticore burned they said there was no more money for that and we had to earn our keep by breeding."

"So you only went to school for eighteen months," Tav clarified carefully. _Okay._ Having been in the equivalent of school for a good portion of his nineteen years Tav could understand how having had only eighteen months worth could be a handicap. _But what the hell has that got to do with being born eighteen months ago._

Julia could tell he still didn't understand. Not surprising, it had been the same when she'd had to explain it to a continuous succession of incredulous Manticore born transgenics today. They might know a lot more stuff than her but they needed new things explained to them really carefully.

"Have you been to the Labs today?" she asked patiently.

"No. My unit was on point while we secured the outer buildings. The Labs were already secure. I didn't have any reason to go there. Why?"

"Because if you'd gone there you would have seen the tanks that my females and I grew in until eighteen months ago."

"Yeah, Okay then," he smiled brightly at a complete loss as to what to say to her. "Time to go to sleep now. I'm really tired." Feigning a yawn he closed his eyes, the uncomfortable unease he'd felt since he'd first laid eyes on the baby turning into full blown panic. _This is worse than I thought. How the hell can I protect that baby with this fruit loop for a mother?_

His eyes snapped open when she kicked him.

Having regained his attention Julia glared in impatient irritation. "I'm too tired to explain it to you. Ask Ana in the morning and go and have a look at the Labs." She closed her exhausted eyes in the hope of going to sleep. _I'll be no good to Baby or my females tomorrow if I don't sleep._

It had been nearly three days since she'd slept and her body had gone past the tired stage into hyper alert, so it took a while for her mind to stop thinking about all the things she had to do tomorrow. She could hear his steady breathing beside her and he was close enough for her to feel the heat coming off his body. With her eyes closed so she couldn't see him it didn't seem so strange to be this close to him. His familiar scent, so like Baby's, mixed with that male smell he had was actually strangely comforting, as was his hand still beside hers on Baby's back.

She'd seen how far away the males in his pack had made the perimeter of objects now surrounding their sleeping territory. That meant that their instincts for threat had to be stronger than hers. Her safe zone to detect danger had to be less than half of theirs. That's what was comforting. These males would wake up before her if there were any danger. It felt safe to sleep. _A strange feeling but I think I like it. _

Tav's eyes snapped awake._ Threat. _No, not threat he realized in the same instant his eyes found Julia. It was still dark but his night vision quickly zeroed in on the baby who was now snuffling around wriggling under the hand he still had on her back.

Exhausted and disorientated Julia had already settled Baby against her breast and she was sucking strongly before she groggily realized that Baby had finally woken up.

"What are you looking at," she hissed snapping properly awake when her sleepy eyes encountered Tav's.

His absorbed fascination turned to embarrassment when she hastily pulled her top down in an attempt to cover her breast.

"I was looking at the Baby not at you. What the hell do you take me for?" he snapped back indignantly.

"A dirty bastard just like the guards,"she spat back.

"Well I'm not like the guards_." _He ground out through gritted teeth._ Fuck._ "I was looking at my daughter. Not at you. If you think that the sight of your, your… He'd been about to say tit but somehow that didn't seem the right word in this circumstance. "Your breast," he said finally feeling like a complete dickwit. "Holds any fucking interest for me then you're sadly mistaken."

"Fuck off, you bastard."

"I'm not going anywhere." He snapped back. She's mine too and when she's finished I want to have a proper look at her," he snapped back keeping his eyes firmly fixed above Julia's neck. When the small sounds the baby was making suddenly ceased his eyes dropped involuntarily, only to find she'd stopped sucking and had turned her head so she could see him.

"Hey," he said softly his finger stroking her soft little cheek.

Her feelings mixed Julia watched Baby stare at him in fascination. Baby liked him. She could tell that immediately. She wasn't tense and upset like she always got when the guard's stink got to close. She likes his scent and his voice she though when Baby's eyes got even rounder when he spoke.

"I didn't think she'd be this aware. How old is she anyway?"

"Nearly four months,"

Her round, curious eyes and her cute pursed little mouth made Tav smile. When her little face mimicked his and she smiled back he laughed in delight.

"She smiled at me."

"She only ever smiles at females. She must really like you." Julia added grudgingly. It was hard not to feel jealous that he'd had Baby's first smile when she woke.

Tav studied her little face with the same curious intensity she was looking at him. Until she finally turned back to Julia. Settling back on his elbow he forgot all about keeping his eyes above Julia's neck and watched in fascination marvelling at how her little ear would move rhythmically as she sucked.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Fuck of Todd," Ana snapped when Todd gestured for Jane to move along so he could lie down. Ignoring Ana he inserted himself into the very small space that Jane with a roll of her eyes had made in an effort to appease both of them. When Ana angrily moved the baby and herself to face the other way, presenting Todd with her back, he calmly grabbed her shoulder and jerked her onto her back so he could see his son.

Ignoring Ana he inspected the baby. He knew he hadn't woken up yet because he'd been talking to Cass about his progress_. It's so fucking worrying. He's so little. _Gently he felt his forehead for any signs of the clamminess that Cass had said signalled dehydration in a baby. Warm so that's good. His eyes went to Ana whose face was now as uncertain as it was hostile

_I hate him like this._ What happened to amiable, tolerant Todd? He's being so demanding and fucking unreasonable about everything. _He's not my mate and I don't owe him anything._

Todd met her hostile stare calmly. _That baby is mine as well as hers and I'm not letting her cut me out. She's may not want me for his father but I am. He's mine to protect and that's the end of it. She can fucking well get used to it._

Her skin that normally had an olive tinge to it was white and her expression was strained and tired. "Hows your arm?" Because he'd asked Dex he already knew that the bullet had passed straight through and she only had a mild flesh wound but concern and care for Ana was an ingrained habit for him.

Ana ignored him.

It was just so good to have her back.Even bad tempered and scowling at him like this.To just be able to go to sleep without worrying about where she was and if she was alright was such a weight of his mind, even if he still had the new worry of the baby's fragile condition.

My son, he repeated in his head. It was still hard to believe he had a child let alone that he had one with Ana. In the back of his mind he'd always wondered what would have happened if like Cloud he'd fought for the right to approach her. He'd always wondered if he might have had a chance with her if he'd just let her see him as someone other than her dependable, pack member always there when she needed him but forgettable otherwise.

She'd certainly given him his answer today when she'd said she'd never have picked him as her Baby's father. There had been no misunderstanding the scorn he'd heard in her voice. Just as well he'd never told her how he felt. At least he'd kept his pride.

Ana watched the expressions come and go on his face. He'd really pissed her off today but it was still so good to have found him alive. Of all her pack he was the one she'd always been the closest too. The one she'd missed the most. That was why it had all seemed so perfect and right when she'd scented her baby for the first time and realized that Todd was his genetic contributor. She'd been pleased that even though he was dead a part of him still lived on in his son.

She'd always wondered what Todd would have thought about her having his son. Well she'd certainly had her answer today. Where the hell did he get off being angry with her anyway? _It's not my fault. I didn't ask them to impregnate me with his sperm._

He's probably only worried about how a baby will affect his chances of nailing everything that moves. He's bound to still be slutting around with every female who looks his way. _Just as well he never found out how hot I used to be for him. _How mortifyingly embarrassing that would have been. _I was so lucky Cloud came forward and I fell in love with him._

As usual she felt the welling of sadness she felt whenever she thought of Cloud. Nobody could have hoped for a better mate. She could feel the tears start behind her eyes. _If only he was still here to help me now._

"I'm really sorry about Cloud," Todd said quietly reading her thoughts in her face. "Your scent was still on him when we found his body and we looked for you until we had no choice but to bug out."

"Yeah, I knew you'd be looking. One of the Quintella scientists just happened to be at Manticore collecting samples when the shit hit the fan. He collected up as many injured females as he could find, threw us in the back of his van and bought us back here. Everybody else died on the trip back." She swallowed remembering the pain and horror of that ride as females she couldn't see or help, but she could smell and hear, had bleed and died around her.

"When I came to at Quintella there was only me left," she added in a small voice remembering how devastated she'd been to find herself still alive. Cloud had just died in her arms and she thought her unit were all dead as well and she'd grieved for all of them.

Now that Todd was alive she felt an incredible guilt that her sorrow had been as great for him as it had been for Cloud. In the back of her mind she knew that guilt was the reason she'd been so aggressive and dismissive when he'd tried to stake his claim to the baby. She shouldn't be feeling this joy and relief that he was alive. Not when Cloud her mate was dead.

Todd's eyes roamed her face lingering on the curve of her cheek and the long dark sweep of lashes as they shielded the grief he knew would be in her now downcast eyes. "Dale brought his body with us when we evac'd," he said gently. "He's buried in the hills outside Seattle. We didn't mark his grave so the bastards couldn't find him but I remember the spot. I'll take you there when we get back to Seattle if you like."

At the moment everything just felt so overwhelming. Not only was she worried about her baby but everything had changed again. She'd always hated even little changes. She liked to know where she was and the only way she ever knew that was if things weren't going so fast she couldn't even catch her breath.

Todd wasn't her baby's father he was just the male genetic contributor that was all he was. He'd just have to work his instincts around that as best he could and stop being demanding. They weren't mated and she owed him nothing. Her baby belonged to her and her alone. _I'm responsible for him and I'll do things in my own way and in my own time, not Todd's._

"Dale will take me," she said coldly moving onto her side again and turning her back to him.

Todd stared at the rigid line of her shoulders. He knew she was as concerned about the baby as he was. He could feel her anxiety and tension. Before all this, before Manticore burned he would have just put his arm around her and offered her his body warmth and his comfort.

He wanted to do it now but he instinctively knew she wouldn't welcome it. Sharing that baby with her had changed everything between them. In the past she'd often been moody and unpredictable but there had still always been friendship between them. Now all he could feel was hostility from her_. Which is weird because if anything I feel closer to her._

He understood her grief for Cloud. He'd felt that same grief when he'd thought she was dead so he knew what it felt like. He couldn't bring Cloud back and nor could he see the point of her trying to live in his shadow. She wasn't dead. She was alive and life went on. The baby was proof of that. If she wanted this hostility between them then there was nothing he could do about it but he wasn't being relegated to the background. He was going to be involved in that boy's life as his father. _He's going to know he belongs to me._

"What's his name anyway?" he asked into the silence. The fact that he didn't even know this simple thing about his son highlighting even more the strangeness of their situation.

"Does he have a name yet?" he repeated impatiently. If she thought that he was going to back off because she was making everything fucking difficult then she was dreaming.

"His name is Todd," she hissed finally, hunching even further away from him.

Todd lay there in stunned silence. He knew it was a good sign. He didn't know what it signified exactly but he knew it was good. Grinning like an idiot he closed his eyes. _We'll have to call him Little Todd or it will get to confusing._

TBC

Please review. I know this chapter has less Alec and Max in it but that's just the way its flowing at the moment.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"You're looking tired Max."

"I'm fine Alec. Stop fussing. I'm pregnant not invalided," Max snapped. Impatiently she batted him aside her attention already back on the screaming baby she was trying to pacify as she searched the hospital ward for Shane. It was so crowded with injured females, babies and transgenic males that it was a good minute before she could see for certain that he wasn't there.

"Where the hell is Shane anyway," she snapped as she manoeuvred her way out of the room into the crowded hall bordered on both sides by rows of stretchers. The bulky bodies of transgenic soldiers as they hovered over the injured females only added to the crowded chaos.

Alec used his shoulder to plough a path for her through the press of bodies. "His babies mother is Susie, and she's Julia's second. She's in the ICU unit at the end of the hall. Shane was there as well the last time I saw him," Alec said, tuning into the fact that this baby also had Shane's scent. _Fuck two of them. That means two females. The poor prick._

Looking down the hall she snorted impatiently. It was so packed with males that she couldn't even see to the end of it. _I've got to find Kat. I haven't time for this._

"You take her to him Alec. " He'll have to get better at this she thought with amusement as he made a second attempt to position his hands under the baby in preparation for taking her.

She sighed in frustrated impatience as once again she was jostled from behind. "I've got to try and get some of these females out of the halls." Even as she said it she knew it wasn't feasible. There was really nothing any of them could do to speed up the treatment process. The simple reality was that they just didn't have the medics to cope with this number of injured. Even with Cass's emergency paediatric team there was still a backlog of females and babies waiting to be treated.

"Now that we have control of the facility surely we don't need all these extra soldiers clogging up the halls. Can't you get them out of here Alec?" _Fewer bodies would at least make moving around easier._

"No. They're not here to keep ordinary soldiers out. They're here to maintain discipline. Transgenic males aren't big on waiting patiently if their packs are under threat. Every male here thinks his baby and its mother is the highest priority and consequently there is a hellva lot of testosterone being dumped. I don't want males deciding that they've waited long enough and using their alpha rank to do their own prioritising."

The pervasive smell of testosterone was so strong that Max's nose had become desensitised. Looking around her, she suddenly became aware of not just the smell but also the pent up tension in the packed hallway. _Just like at the alpha fight._

"How much fucking longer does she have to wait Alec?" Mezo demanded, gesturing at the female on the stretcher he was hovering over.

"She's next in line Mezo." Alec shot back his tone as hard as Mezo's was aggressive as.

She'd never seen calm, likeable Mezo exhibit any form of hostility before and it brought Max's memory back to what Kat had said about Alec being the male alpha because he could and would use the force required to keep them in line.

"I know that. But how fucking long is that going to be then? That's fucking useless." Mezo gestured in disgust at the oozing tourniquet attached to the leg of the battered dark haired female, whose stretcher he was standing over. She's lost too much blood. She doesn't have much time left."

"She's next Mezo," Alec repeated his eyes going to the restless baby nestled in the crook of Mezo's arm. "Has the baby been examined yet?"

"Yeah," Mezo answered his focus on the little girl whose face was now puckering as she started to grizzle. "Shh, shh," he soothed shifting her awkwardly to his shoulder.

"The ordinary female doctor said she's fine. But she still keeps on crying," he added helplessly, as he patted the babies back in an attempt to soothe her.

Max hearing the concern and worry in his voice suddenly felt overwhelmed by the frustrating, absurdness that could leave this baby without a mother simply because they couldn't get her into surgery in time. No wonder Mezo was dumping testosterone. It was also understandable Alec would be worried about having to deal with a horde of aggressive transgenic males, sick of waiting and prepared to fight to decide who was treated next. _I sure as hell wouldn't find it easy to wait in line for medical treatment if this was Alec or my baby either._

"If Cass says she's fine then she will be Mezo. She's probably just crying because she's hungry. If you take her along to the hospital Mess one of the uninjured females will feed her."

This was why she needed Kat. At the moment Julia's females were rationing their breast milk so they could feed the babies whose mothers were either dead or injured but that was only a short-term solution. They needed to organise a supplementary milk supply urgently.

"Her names Kathy," Mezo replied absently, his conflicted gaze moving from the now quiet baby to the stretcher holding her mother. "No we'll wait here until she goes into surgery," he decided zeroing in on Dex as he burst out of the doors leading to the OR . Lunging for Dex he hauled him over by his arm.

"She's next," he demanded gesturing at Kathy.

"Get the fuck of me." Dex bit out. Wrenching free of Mezo's grip, his other hand was already manoeuvring Kathy's stretcher towards the OR.

"Take her to the other females in her pack and they'll feed her. There's no point in you standing here blocking traffic when the baby needs to be fed," Max said briskly hoping to move him on.

Mezo didn't react. He stood rooted to the spot absently patting the baby's back his eyes riveted on the OR door that has just swung closed behind Dex and the stretcher.

"Mezo?" Alec's authoritative, straightforward demand for attention brought Mezo's eyes instantly to him. "You'll be taking command for Dale until his baby's off the critical list. Julia has agreed to evacing her females and their babies as soon as they're fit to travel. The children who belong to males still back in TC are going to be air lifted out first. I need you to sort out who they are and start the evac ASAP."

Getting the babies to the units they rightfully belonged to was his number one priority. There wasn't a male in TC who wouldn't know by now what was happening at Quintella. It was imperative to get these babies to the packs they belonged to before the Units took matters into their own hands and decided to come looking for them.

The only way to control transgenic males was to mitigate to alleviate any risk of ever putting them in a situation where they had to choose between discipline or the safety and well being of their packs. He knew he had to have detailed and correct information about every infant they'd found here on its way back to TC before nightfall or else he could kiss goodbye to any semblance of control of TC. The units would be on their way to Quintella by morning regardless of their orders. Their instinct to protect their own always prevailed.

"The return flights can bring back any males who have babies here that can't travel yet," Alec added. It had to be done, he really had no choice, but that was no compensation for the fact that every extra male they bought here would weaken TC's defence at a time they could least afford it.

No matter what the hell Anderson had to say about it there was no way any of these fuckers were walking away from this horror house. All of these fuckers were headed for the same brand of summary justice they'd been dispensing themselves. Unfortunately you couldn't kill this many American soldiers in their home country and not expect to have to explain yourselves. Not unless you were killing transgenic soldiers Alec thought humourlessly.

"Yes Sir," Mezo agreed automatically snapping to attention and interrupting Alec's thoughts.

"I'll need to take her with me, though, Sir," he added gesturing at the baby.

Despite the tension around her the look on Alec's face still sent a flash of amusement through Max.

"Right," Alec agreed for want of anything else he could say.

Mezo turned and started to push his way along the hall, the baby's little features visible above the wide width of his shoulder. Max's eyes followed Alec's as they tracked firstly to the baby he was holding and then slowly down the hall full of his fully kitted out soldiers, many of whom, just like Mezo had their M16's slung over one shoulder and a baby perched on the other.

Shearched her spine and unconsciously started to rub her aching back

"How long have you been on your feet today anyway, Max?" Alec asked sharply. He hadn't meant to snap but his mind had still been half contemplating the decidedly unmilitary appearance of his fighting force when he'd noticed her weary movements

She frowned in grumpy exasperation. "I'm fine Alec. I've told you to stop fussing. I know what I'm doing. When I'm tired I'll sit down." _Anyone would think I was a dribbling idiot incapable of looking after myself. _

That irritating pain she'd been having for the last couple of hours niggled through her again. She knew they were only the Braxton Hicks contractions she'd read all about in her multitude of pregnancy books. At any other time she would have welcomed them as another sign that the baby's birth was advancing. Right now though, with all that was happening, they were just another annoying physical discomfit that she had neither the time nor the energy for.

"I don't like to leave here when it's like this but I've got to help Tav with something. He hated leaving males who were as tense and stressed as this lot were but he had no choice. His own unit needed him to help extract Steve's child from the rubble of the collapsed building.

"I'll be back in an hour," he continued. Only military personnel are to leave the hospital. I haven't had time to organise a through sweep of every building, so there could still be the odd ordinary renegade still on the loose."_ Fuck it was pain in the ass trying to get everything done without Steve and Tanner._

Thinking this was his oblique way of telling her not to leave the hospital Max snapped in irritation. "I'm a transgenic too Alec. I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself." The dull ache in her back was getting worse and she didn't have any patience for this over protective shit.

"This is a military operation Max and I've just issued a general order applicable to everyone. I wasn't just talking to you. I'll leave Zab in charge and if there's any trouble Dale's close by in the IC unit as well."

"Whatever Alec. Just make sure you follow your own advice and be careful yourself," she snapped. If anyone needed to be warned not to take risks it was Alec not her.

"Always Max," he replied absently as he turned to go his mind already on getting to Tav and the rest of his Unit.

The ache in her back was a continuing throb now and the last thing she wanted to do was argue. Alec was thorough. If he'd declared the facility safe then she knew there wouldn't be as much as a coach roach left unaccounted for. She'd just seen Kat duck outside and she needed to talk to her about organising the baby supplies they needed until they could get all the babies back to TC.

Fuck it really is worse than having jailers Max thought in irritation as she sidled out of the doorway she'd taken refuge in to avoid Tyler and his patrolling unit. Angrily Max stomped back towards the hospital. Kat had managed to just stroll across the parade ground without any trouble, while Tyler had pulled military rank on her and ordered her back to the hospital. Who the hell did he think he was anyway?

So what if she wasn't wearing her kit. Alec had said they had control of the facility. What the hell was all the fuss about? Let Tyler try being pregnant and see how easy it was carrying the extra weight of a Kevlar as well as a baby. Head down thinking what an arrogant bastard Tyler was she didn't get the scent of ordinary until it was to late.

"Don't move slut or I'll just slice it out of your belly."

His arm around her throat the ordinary pulled her backwards. The knife he was holding against her stomach was digging into her flesh so hard she knew he'd already drawn blood. She could feel his presence behind her. _Big._ Sizing up where his stomach would be she drove her elbow backwards into his gut and then smashed the flat of her hand downward into his groin as she spun sideways. His grunt of pain was and in her ear as she swung away from the knife.

She'd already scented the other one and knew she was in his path but the momentum of her body kept her moving into the hunk of wood he was swinging. Her jaw exploded with pain and her body hit the concrete. As she lost consciousness her body instinctively curled into a protective foetal hunch.

"Leave her alone Mitch. If we're going to use her as a hostage she has to be able to walk."

"Fucking bitch," Mitch spat in disgust kicking her again. The sound of his boot contacting the sluts back didn't alleviate the pain in his balls but it did afford him some small pleasure.

"Taking a hostage is a fucking stupid idea anyway. Why would anyone care what happened to this trannie slut? I say lets just kill her. Conscious she'll be a fucking liability anyway."

"She won't be much use unless you get out of the fucking way and let me put these restraints on her. Put your gun to her gut in case she wakes up," he hissed as he cautiously snapped the metal restraint around Max's wrist.

Feeling someone yank her arm snapped Max to consciousness. The smooth metallic click of a bullet being chambered was the first thing she registered the second was the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed hard into her belly. _That's got to be where the baby's head is. _One of the ordinary's tried to yank her leg down. Her eyes locked in panic with the other bastard who was holding the gun on her baby. _He'll do it. He's itching to do it_. She let the ordinary attach the ankle restraints.

As the one with the gun straightened up she saw his intention to kick her and rolled sideways so his boot connected with her back. The pain was instant and excruciating and it drew her attention to the other pain and the cold wetness she'd just noticed between her legs. **NO. **_I can't loose him now. Not when he's so big, so close to being born. I won't loose him. I fucking won't._

My baby's coming. It's too soon. I've got to get back to the hospital," she said urgently as she tried to roll to her knees the chains in her way.

"Who the fuck cares?" Mitch spat kicking her over onto her side again.

"You better start to fucking care. My baby's father is the Commander here. Help me and you just might get out of here alive. If our baby dies because of you …"

"Why you fucking…"

"Leave her Mitch. We need her for fucks sake." Blocking Mitch's kick with his own foot he grabbed Max by her shirt and hauled her to her feet.

Hunched with the pain and worry for the baby Max fought to stay upright.

"Oh for fuck sake you don't buy that shit do you? These sluts were all artificially impregnated with god knows whose spunk. No one gives a fuck about her or her god-forsaken brat. If we take her to the hospital they'll just kill us.

"No they won't. Not if I tell them you helped me," Max whispered her panic receding as the pain started to subside. Just like the pain of a normal contraction would_. I'm not miscarrying I'm in labour. My waters must have broken while I was unconscious. I'm not bleeding_

"Oh come on. You know they can't let us go free even if this mouthy slut does belong to someone who gives a fuck about her. You've seen what happened here. These are some serious fuckers. They aren't going to let any of us go."

"They haven't killed everybody."

"They've already killed enough to tell us that they aren't interested in taking any prisoners. Once they've debriefed everybody still alive they'll kill the rest of us as well."

"They're American soldiers why would they kill their own side."

"We outnumbered them fifty to one. You saw how they fought. It ain't fucking natural. They aren't soldiers they're trannies just like this bitch and as far as they're concerned we're the enemy. They're going to kill us alright," he spat. "Its just a question of how many of them we can take with us."

"Well if according to you we're dead anyway, what the hell have we got to loose by using her?"

Grabbing hold of her chains he yanked Max forward. "Come on then lets get you to the hospital."

"Just so's you know bitch," Mitch ground out slamming his shoulder so hard into Max that she staggered. "If your boyfriend don't come through for us then you and baby trannie here are dead meat."

In the grip of another powerful contraction, Max only had the strength to push the gun barrel he'd jabbed into her side away as she righted herself and restricted by the chains continued to shuffle along behind the other ordinary.

Tyler saw them the minute they broke cover into the yard. Falling to a crouch he gestured the rest of his unit to cover. _Fuck no. Not Max_. _Not on my watch_.

Distracted with trying to walk and cope with the contraction she was having Max didn't see them but all her senses told her they were there. The contractions were stronger and closer now. If the baby was going to be born six weeks early, to give him the best chance she had to get to Cass quickly._ Hurry Alec. _

"Clear the channel code red, over," Tyler hissed quietly into his mouthpiece.

"Sit rep, Tyler," " Alec bit back immediately.

"Two armed enemy hostage takers. We all have beads on them but they both have handguns on pregnant hostages stomach. If we take them out there's a good chance they'll kill her and the baby, over."

"ETA under 60 sec, over." He was already blurring to the hospital.

On his feet now shouldering his gun and manoeuvring to keep the fucker who'd just slammed into Max in his sights Tyler broke cover so they could see him. _You're dead meat asshole._

"Roger that Alec we're in north west corner of the hospital parade ground. Hostage takers and hostage headed towards us. Hostage is Max, over."

Alec already knew that. The sinking feeling of dread he'd had the minute Tyler had asked for a clean channel had sent him running instinctively for Max. He made it in less than sixty seconds. Slowing to a run so the ordinaries could see him he pelted into the open. Just as he hoped, taken by surprise both ordinaries guns instinctively moved off Max and onto him. The barrage of gunfire from Tyler and his Unit chopped their bodies to pieces spraying blood and flesh over a five-metre radius.

His heart beating so hard he could literally hear an ocean swell of blood roaring in his ears kicking what was left of the ordinary's aside he dropped to his knees beside Max's blood-covered body. It's not Max's blood. It can't be. Their guns weren't on her. None of his soldiers would have hit her. It just wasn't possible. It's not her blood.

"Max," he whispered thickly his hand gently brushing the hair off her blood splattered cheek the other hand instinctively traversing her stomach checking to see the baby was alright.

"I'm in labour. Take me to Cass," she panted. The contractions were really close now. She knew she didn't have much time.

"No you're not Max. It's too early." Alec returned idiotically. _She was injured there was warm blood on her stomach. But it's not a big enough injury to be causing this much pain. _Panic stricken he continued to run his hands over her body searching for the injury he was afraid to find. _When they needed me I wasn't fucking here again._

"I'm not injured Alec. I'm in labour. Get these chains of me so I can walk or take me to Cass. **Now.**"

"Not until I know where you're injured. I might make it worse…" he broke off staring at her in wide eyed shock as she shoved his hand between her legs and he felt the cold dampness. Blood was his first thought.

"My waters have broken and I'm in labour," she repeated a lot more patiently than she was feeling.

"Right. We need to get you to the hospital then," he snapped decisively, his head finally catching up with what she'd been trying to tell him. "He's alright then isn't he Max?" he asked as he bent to pick her up. His wide apprehensive eyes locked with hers.

"He's fine Alec. It's just labour. It started before those assholes grabbed me. I just didn't realize it until my waters broke. He's fine," she assured him more forcefully when his eyes never wavered from hers.

Relieved he'd finally got a grip on what was happening she put her arm around his neck and settled back against his chest. _Her baby was coming. Soon she'd be able to hold him. It was finally happening._

_Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Five Hours Later

"Are you sure its alright to do this now that your waters have broken?" Alec asked as he hovered in the doorway of the bathroom.

Sighing Max rolled her eyes. He'd already asked her the same thing twice. If he'd had his way she'd be lying flat on her back like a beached whale.

Her contractions had stopped and she was definitely taking the opportunity to get properly clean. Who knows how soon she'd get the chance again.

"Positive Alec. You heard what Cass said. Just go about my normal business and the labour will start again when the baby's ready. Its better like this anyway. It gives Cass a chance to finish up all the emergency surgery as well as have a rest. Labour can take a long time once it starts. I could do with a bit of a rest as well. He's a very considerate baby," she added smiling as she rubbed her stomach.

Now she knew she was finally in labour, the urgent impatience she'd felt the whole time she'd been pregnant had disappeared. In its place was a patient calmness. The baby's vitals were all stable and he was in good shape. He'd just decided he was coming early, evidently, not an uncommon occurrence for transgenic babies. She was in no hurry. When he was ready she'd be ready. In the meantime she was going to savour this breathing space.

"I'll do it Max," he said when she bent awkwardly to turn off the taps. Sitting down on the side of the bath he tested the warmth of the water. "It does feel good."

Max smiled at his wistful expression. "You can get in with me."

"What? Would that be hygienic, now your waters have broken," he asked doubtfully.

"Yes Alec. Far more hygienic than having you swanning around the labour room covered in soot and dirt. You can hardly help with the birth if you're filthy. Cass said for us both to relax and enjoy the respite. What better way to do it than in the bath."

"Has it started again?" he asked jumping to his feet when she grimaced in pain.

"No it's just my back. The labour pains made me forget it hurts as well," gingerly she pulled her tee shirt over her head.

"I'll rub it for you," he offered thinking she was referring to the ache carrying the baby's weight sometimes gave her in her lower back.

"What the fuck!" Grabbing her arm as she tried to twist out of his sight he turned her around again.

The black haze of rage he felt when he saw the mass of purple and blue bruises on her back was blinding. _None of these fuckers are leaving here alive._

She turned back around and he looked at her slight frame and the huge bulge that was his son. They both looked so vulnerable. He didn't realize there were tears on his face until she brushed his cheek with her fingers. He'd felt bad enough when Cass had put the dressing on the cut those fuckers had made on her stomach. But this…

He splayed his hand across her stomach. "Did they…did they?" he tried again, he was so fucking angry he couldn't even ask.

"No they didn't. He wasn't in any danger. They never even got close."

His tortured groan as he sat down on the side of the bath brought her eyes back to his. "They shouldn't have got close to you either," he mumbled. "I should have been there. I…"

"You were there Alec. As soon as you knew you were there," she interrupted. "So were Tyler and his Unit. That's the best thing about being transgenic, there's always going to be someone there. It will be the same when he's born. He won't just have us to protect him he'll have everybody else as well. Being a transgenic baby is safer than being an ordinary baby."

She ignored his bitter derisive snort of laughter. Her hand in his hair she pulled his head back until his eyes were locked with hers.

"It is Alec and we're going to make it even safer. This baby and all the babies we've found here are going to grow up in our own world, a transgenic world. **Not **an ordinary world. They're going to have our culture and live by our rules. They're going to be as safe in their wider environments as they are in their packs."

Intently he scanned her face. It was as if she'd reached into his heart and pulled out everything he'd ever dreamed of for his own kind.

"Not in Seattle they won't be."

"No," she agreed holding his gaze. "It won't be in Seattle."

Pulling her into him his chin on her shoulder, content to let it lie he smiled quietly to himself. He had Max and before the night was out he would have his son. That itself was more reward than he'd ever imagined life held for him. Moreover she'd just told him she was prepared to leave Seattle. In front of him stretched the golden possibility of the dream he'd shared with Tav since they were children. Their own safe world where their instincts dictated everything just like it was supposed to be for them.

"Get your gear off before the water gets cold," she giggled pushing his filthy tee-shirt up his body and tickling his ribs at the same time.

Max leaned deliciously back against his solid chest. She was so relaxed she didn't have the strength to get out of the water_. I could just go to sleep here._

"Max the waters getting cold. Its time to get out," Alec whispered softly against her neck as he leaned forward and hooked the plug free.

"Hmm," she agreed not moving.

Sometimes he can read my mind Max thought as he stood her on her feet just long enough to wrap her in a towel before he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

Patiently she sat between his legs as he inexpertly dried her hair.

"It's dry enough Alec," she yawned climbing over his thigh to lie down.

Sighing contentedly she settled back against him and was almost instantly asleep.

Alec lay behind her his hand gently stoking the round the swell of the baby. When he'd first got them back to the hospital Max had still been in labour. When Cass's nurse had rigged her up to the foetal monitor it had registered alarmingly high. He knew it was because the baby had sensed Max's distress. He could only hope that babies couldn't detect pain like they could sense their mother's stress.

_I could have lost him today. Lost both of them. _His face grim he moved her closer into the curve of his body. They were never going to be that vulnerable again. Whatever he had to do to keep them safe he'd do it. No ordinary was ever going to be in a position to endanger either of them ever again. Once again he felt a surge of rage when he thought about the ugly painful bruises on Max's back. _The gutless bastards._

It didn't matter how much protection he put in place around them as long as they lived in an ordinary world they would always be at risk. There would always be some honourless ordinary low life who considered transgenic women and children fair game. He wanted his son and every other transgenic baby to be raised safely without fear. That was never going to happen in Seattle. The only way to provide a safe environment for their children was to build their own world free of ordinary influence and control.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Max awoke to pain and with it came the momentary fear and panic of believing she was back in Manticore.

"Its okay Max," Alec said soothingly from behind her. He'd been awake for hours his mind occupied with his plans for the future.

"Have the pains started again?"

"Yeah, not badly though," she added hastily when he started to get up. "Its to early to go to the hospital yet. They have to be stronger and more frequent than this," she added her hand going to his leg to keep him there.

"I'd rather go now just in case something goes wrong." Hurriedly he got up and started to pull his pants on. "It'll be safer to wait there," he repeated anxiously scanning her face for signs of increased discomfit. Since her labour had started their roles seem to have been reversed. Where previously he'd been relaxed and willing to let things take their course, he now couldn't wait for it to be over. Watching her in pain and not being able to do anything to help had proved to be a lot harder than he'd anticipated.

Resigned Max sat up and started to get dressed. It was far too early to go anywhere yet. She just wanted to stay here in the quiet with him and wait it out. However since he'd been like a cat on hot bricks before her pains had stopped, it was probably going to be less stressful for the both of them if they waited at the hospital. She wanted to see how her females whose mates had found babies at Quintella were coping anyway.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How many centimetres now," Alec asked the ordinary nurse again.

In the grip of another powerful contraction Max didn't find it irritating like she had the other four times he'd asked within the last half an hour. The pain was strong and almost continuous now. _Surely I must be dilated enough._

"Six centimetres I think it's time to get Cass," the ordinary nurse said to Max's relief.

"Not long now Maxie." Alec stroked her hair off her damp temple with the thumb of the hand he had curved around her head. "Soon you'll be able to hold him," he reassured her again. He hated the powerlessness of not being able to do anything but whisper meaningless assurances.

Racked with another nauseating wave of excruciating pain all she had the strength for was to breathe through the contraction. _Oh god this is worse than all the times I've been shot or injured put together. _

"That's it just keep breathing like that. You're doing really well. There can't be long to go now." He'd been telling her the same thing for the last five hours and he was starting to hear the desperation in his own voice. He'd thought that after all the books he'd read that he was prepared for this but the reality was so much more harrowing than he could ever have anticipated. She'd been in what seemed like continuous pain for nearly five hours and despite his angry demands for her to get Cass the ordinary nurse had kept insisting it was still to early.

The already crushing grip Max had on his hand tightened and she moaned softly as an exhausted looking Cass came through the door.

"Where the hell have you been?" Alec snapped completely disregarding that for the last twenty-four hours she'd been occupied with non-stop surgery to clear the backlog of injured.

Well used to him now Cass just ignored him. "Hey Max," she said as she checked the foetal monitor. "Everything's fine. His vitals are good and he's engaged in the proper position. You're doing great," she continued peering between Max's legs to check her level of dilation

"She's not getting any time to recover between contractions now. The pain is so bad it's making her sick. You're going to have to give her something for it." Because his anxious eyes had never left her face he already knew Max didn't want that even before she squeezed his hand in impatient rejection.

"A little pain killer won't hurt the baby and it will help you…" he trailed of when the angry shake of her head turned into a moan as another contraction peaked.

"Help her up Alec?" Cass asked her hand already under Max's elbow as she assisted her to sit up. "She'll be better off upright from now on. Gravity will assist both the baby and dilation."

"Fuck off," Max panted pushing Cass off her as she tried to lie back down again as another wave of pain hit her.

"No Max." One hand on her arm and the other around her waist, taking advantage of her inability to do anything but ride out the contraction Alec lifted her onto her knees until she was kneeling on the bed. Guiding her unresisting arms around his neck he positioned himself until he was supporting most of her weight.

"You're doing well. It won't be long now," he soothed. She'd told him in the early stages of her pregnancy that this position was the one she wanted to give birth in because it was easiest for both mother and baby. If this was the easiest and quickest way then this was the way she was doing it. _The quicker the better. She can't take much more of this._

Feeling a lot calmer now he was at least able to do something to help he stroked her spine as she leaned heavily down on his shoulders and panted through another contraction.

"I feel like I want to push," she gasped.

"Not yet. Wait." Cass ordered sharply. "I need to check how dilated you are."

"What the fuck are you doing Cass," Max demanded irritably.

Her cheek was resting on his shoulder and he stroked her hair as he she strain against him. The one disadvantage to this position was that he couldn't see what Cass was doing.

"I'm just checking everything's okay with him before you start to push. We don't want the cord twisted around his neck," Cass replied calmly.

Max bit back the urge to tell her to fuck off. Cass was the best and she knew what she was doing. but who knew it was going to hurt as much as this. _Oh god it feels like her hands are fucking inside me._

"Is everything all right?" Alec asked, anxiously peering along Max's back to see what Cass was doing.

"Everything's fine the baby's in position and just itching to be born. It's just a matter of waiting until he's just a bit further along the birth canal before Max can push.

Alec's eyes went to Max's flushed and intent face as she concentrated on getting through another wave of pain. _Thank god it'll soon be over._

"I just want to get him out,"Max snapped_. Fuck waiting. If my instincts are telling me to push then that's what I should be doing._

When the next overpowering wave of pain hit her Max started to push.

"That's good Max. His head is crowing now. Look?" Cass said as the nurse angled a mirror so that if Max had the strength to look over her shoulder she could see what was happening. She didn't.

Alec watched in fascination. "He's got dark hair Max," he said unable to keep the excitement form his voice as the reality of it suddenly hit him. _My son has dark hair_. _I'm really going to be a father._

"I don't care what colour his hair is. I just want to get him out," Max moaned between pushes.

"There he is," Alec whispered in awe as she felt the baby slide out. Max twisted sideways so she could see what was happening.

"He's all right isn't he?" she asked all her anxiety returning. _What if those bastards had injured him when she was unconscious and she just hadn't felt it?_

"He's fine." Cass assured them both as she detached the cord.

"Max sat back her avid gaze on the baby as Cass lifted him onto her stomach. Her hand immediately went to the damp little head and her eyes moved from Alec's hand already stroking the baby's still bloody back and up to his face.

Alec's eyes locked with her's. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Max knew how he was feeling because she felt the same way. Overcome with emotion she moved under the arm he'd just put around her shoulders and leaned against his chest.

"He's beautiful Max."

"Yeah he is, isn't he," she said the tears streaming down her cheeks. _We did it. He's here and he's alive_.

Alec's hand instinctively fended Cass's off when she tried to touch the baby again. Max smiled to herself as she moved Alec's hand out of the way so Cass could work.

"I'm just going to check his lungs and nasal passages are clear of fluid," Cass explained. "It won't take a minute. He'll be fine. You'll have him back in no time," she said soothingly.

She was well used to the protectiveness of new mothers. With transgenic parents she was as likely to be dealing with an over protective father as a mother. She certainly had no problems with that. Fathers, who bonded with their children as early and as strongly as transgenic males appeared to, had to be well on their way to being good parents.

Max could feel the tension in the arm Alec had around her shoulders as Cass lifted the baby.

"Be careful," he snapped when the baby made that instinctive frightened grab with his little arms that very young baby's sometimes made when you picked them up. Ignoring him Cass negotiated her way around where he was now hovering over the baby and continued her examination.

"Because he's an early baby we'll keep a close eye on him over the next week, but he's a good weight and everything seems to be fine," she said wrapping him up and handing him back to Max.

Along time after Cass and the nurse had left the room they were both still staring silently at him. It was Alec's turn to hold him and he was sitting behind Max with his chin on her shoulder holding the baby in front of them so they could see him properly. The amazing thing was that he was looking at them with the same curious scrutiny.

"He knows us Max?" Alec said finally into the silence. "It's incredible how alert he is."

"Yeah Max," agreed her eyes fixed on his little face as he continued to gaze with alert interest at them.

He's so beautiful. _He's definitely the most beautiful baby I've ever seen._

"He looks like you," she said with conviction.

"Does he?"

"Yeah absolutely," she said with assurance hearing the doubt in his voice.

"His hair's dark and that probably won't change but his eyes will definitely go green as he gets older."

"Right," Alec agreed thinking he liked his blue eyes. In fact he liked everything about him. _He has to be the smartest baby I've ever seen_. He was less than two hours old and already he knew what was going on around him.

"Do you think he looks hungry? Should I try and feed him yet?"

"It can't hurt to try."

"I love you Alec"

"I love you to Max."

"Everything's going to be all right isn't it?"

She'd never in her life been happier. Nor had she ever felt so sure and positive about the future but she needed to hear he felt the same.

"Yeah everything will be all right," he said as she leaned back against him and settled the baby against her breast."

"After you've fed him. I'll show him to Tav and the others."

THE END

REVIEW HERE For AGORA

REVIEW HERE For NUNSWITHPENS

I have been writing this story for over a year and it had to end somewhere so this was the last chapter. I really was only joking when I called it the never-ending story although some of you had probably come to doubt that. hee.

I 'd always intended to finish it when the baby was born as the stories original intent was to explore instinct as it pertained to biology and breeding and to have a bit of fun by reversing or extravagating it, which I have done. It really has been more than fun.

Thankyou so much for your stupendous support and encouragement over the time I have been writing this. You all rock.

I have a lot of other material that I have written while trying to finish this chapter. It's about Tav and Steve and I will be positing it at Agora Cradle of our Imagination.

So while HSH has finished I will still be writing about Tanner and Tav and Steve and possible Todd at Agora. Thanks again for your support.

Zac


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